The role of magnetoplasmons in Casimir force calculations

In this paper we review the role of magneto plasmon polaritons in the Casimir force calculations. By applying an external constant magnetic field a strong optical anisotropy is induced on two parallel slabs reducing the reflectivity and thus the Casimir force. As the external magnetic field increases, the Casimir force decreases. Thus, with an an external magnetic field the Casimir force can be controlled.The calculations are done in the Voigt configuration where the magnetic field is parallel to the slabs. In this configuration the reflection coefficients for TE and TM modes do not show mode conversion.Comment: contribution to QFEXT09, Norman, Oklahoma 200

Pull-in control due to Casimir forces using external magnetic fields

We present a theoretical calculation of the pull-in control in capacitive micro switches actuated by Casimir forces, using external magnetic fields. The external magnetic fields induces an optical anisotropy due to the excitation of magneto plasmons, that reduces the Casimir force. The calculations are performed in the Voigt configuration, and the results show that as the magnetic field increases the system becomes more stable. The detachment length for a cantilever is also calculated for a cantilever, showing that it increases with increasing magnetic field. At the pull-in separation, the stiffness of the system decreases with increasing magnetic field.Comment: accepted for publication in App. Phys. Let

Van der Waals torque induced by external magnetic fields

We present a method for inducing and controlling van der Waals torques between two parallel slabs using a constant magnetic field. The torque is calculated using the Barash theory of dispersive torques. In III-IV semiconductors such as $InSb$, the effect of an external magnetic field is to induce an optical anisotropy, in an otherwise isotropic material, that will in turn induce a torque. The calculations of the torque are done in the Voigt configuration, with the magnetic field parallel to the surface of the slabs. As a case study we consider a slab made of calcite and a second slab made of $InSb$. In the absence of magnetic field there is no torque. As the magnetic field increases, the optical anisotropy of $InSb$ increases and the torque becomes different from zero, increasing with the magnetic field. The resulting torque is of the same order of magnitude as that calculated using permanent anisotropic materials when the magnetic fields is close to 1 T.Comment: to appear in Journal of Applied Physic

A theoretical analysis of the role of defects in the adsorption of hydrogen sulfide on graphene

Density functional theory studies are reported to analyze the interaction between hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and graphene. The electron-ion interactions have been modeled using ultrasoft pseudopotentials and the exchange-correlation energies have been approximated by the method of the generalized gradient approximation in the parameterization of Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof. Three graphene structures, one intrinsic and two with defects (vacancy and sustitution), and four H2S concentrations have been studied. The optimal geometries, binding energies, density of states (DOS) and charge density were obtained. In order to study the adsorption process three high symmetry sites were considered, namely, top, bridge, and center. The preferential adsorption structure corresponds to the center site in a physical way. The DOS of graphene-H2S systems shows a metallic behavior which coincides with the behavior of the isolated graphene. The geometrical structure of the graphene and the hydrogen sulfide remains unchanged

Chitosan Coatings Modified with Nanostructured ZnO for the Preservation of Strawberries

Strawberries are highly consumed around the world; however, the post-harvest shelf life is a market challenge to mitigate. It is necessary to guarantee the taste, color, and nutritional value of the fruit for a prolonged period of time. In this work, a nanocoating based on chitosan and ZnO nanoparticles for the preservation of strawberries was developed and examined. The chitosan was obtained from residual shrimp skeletons using the chemical method, and the ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by the close-spaced sublimation method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersion analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the hybrid coating. The spaghetti-like ZnO nanoparticles presented the typical wurtzite structure, which was uniformly distributed into the chitosan matrix, as observed by the elemental mapping. Measurements of color, texture, pH, titratable acidity, humidity content, and microbiological tests were performed for the strawberries coated with the Chitosan/ZnO hybrid coating, which was uniformly impregnated on the strawberries’ surface. After eight days of storage, the fruit maintained a fresh appearance. The microbial load was reduced because of the synergistic effect between chitosan and ZnO nanoparticles. Global results confirm that coated strawberries are suitable for human consumption

Experimental study on multichannel-based quasi-one-dimensional photonic crystals containing negative-index materials

In this paper, multichannel-based quasi-one-dimensional photonic crystal containing negative-index materials is investigated by both numerical simulation and microwave experiments. The relationship between gap properties and the connectivity originated from quasi-one-dimensional geometry is analyzed. The results show that due to the introduced parallel multiple channels large bandgap can be obtained, with total length along propagation direction of photonic crystal unchanged in the mean time. Therefore, multichannel-based quasi-one-dimensional photonic crystal containing negative-index materials may provide more possibilities to the design of compact optic and microwave devices with higher efficiency