A stable suspension of nanoscale particles due to the Casimir force is of great interest for many applications such as sensing, noncontract nanomachines. However, the suspension properties are difficult to change once the devices are fabricated. Vanadium dioxide (${\mathrm{VO}}_2$) is a phase change material, which undergoes a transition from a low-temperature insulating phase to a high-temperature metallic phase around a temperature of 340 K. In this work, we study Casimir forces between a nanoplate (gold or Teflon) and a layered structure containing a ${\mathrm{VO}}_2$ film. It is found that stable Casimir suspensions of nanoplates can be realized in a liquid environment, and the equilibrium distances are determined, not only by the layer thicknesses but also by the matter phases of ${\mathrm{VO}}_2$. Under proper designs, a switch from quantum trapping of the gold nanoplate (“on” state) to its release (“off” state) as a result of the metal-to-insulator transition of ${VO}_2$, is revealed. On the other hand, the quantum trapping and release of a Teflon nanoplate is found under the insulator-to-metal transition of ${\mathrm{VO}}_2$ . Our findings offer the possibility of designing switchable devices for applications in micro and nanoelectromechanical systems.

中文翻译：

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具有相变材料的可调谐卡西米尔平衡：从量子捕获到释放

由于卡西米尔（Casimir）力而导致的纳米级颗粒的稳定悬浮对于许多应用（例如传感，非合同纳米机械）非常感兴趣。但是，一旦制造出器件，悬置性能就很难改变。二氧化钒${\mathrm{VO}}_2$）是一种相变材料，在340 K左右的温度下会经历从低温绝缘相到高温金属相的转变。包含 ${\mathrm{VO}}_2$电影。发现可以在液体环境中实现稳定的纳米板卡西米尔悬浮液，并且平衡距离不仅取决于层的厚度，而且取决于相的物质相。${\mathrm{VO}}_2$。在适当的设计下，由于金属纳米粒子向绝缘体的转变，金纳米板的量子俘获（“开启”状态）转换为其释放（“关闭”状态）。${VO}_2$，显示出来。另一方面，在铁电体的绝缘体到金属的跃迁下发现了铁氟龙纳米板的量子俘获和释放。${\mathrm{VO}}_2$。我们的发现为设计用于微和纳米机电系统的可切换设备提供了可能性。