A frustrated non-contact rack-pinion-rack device
A design is proposed for a mechanical device made of a nanoscale pinion sandwiched without contact between two racks that exert opposing forces rooted in the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field via the lateral Casimir force. The built-in frustration in the design of the system helps it...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2009
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| Summary: | A design is proposed for a mechanical device made of a nanoscale pinion sandwiched without contact between two racks that exert opposing forces rooted in the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field via the lateral Casimir force. The built-in frustration in the design of the system helps it to react dramatically to minute changes in the geometrical features, which suggests that it could act as a good sensor. The noncontact nature of this device could help solve the infamous wear problem in nanoscale mechanical devices. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd. |
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