Physicists tweak quantum force, reducing barrier to tiny devices

A scanning electron micrograph, taken with an electron microscope, shows the comb-like structure of a metal plate at the center of newly published University of Florida research on quantum physics. UF physicists found that corrugating the plate reduced the Casimir force, a quantum force that draws together very close objects. The discovery could prove useful as tiny "microelectromechanical" systems -- so-called MEMS devices that are already used in a wide array of consumer products -- become so small they are affected by quantum forces. Credit: Yiliang Bao and Jie Zoue/University of Florida