At QUP, we are searching for novel quantum fields in a wide range of energy scales. It is known to be that there are four forces in nature (electromagnetic, weak, strong forces, and gravity), but there may be another force near the human scale. Many experiments and observations have been conducted to discover new forces, and there have been many high-precision measurements on scales as large as stars to as small as one centimeter. Still, it has been relatively difficult to search for new forces in the micrometer range, such as one-millionth of a meter. In a recent paper published in Physical Review D, QUP researchers have demonstrated the possibility of making accurate measurements in this region.

QUP Principal Investigator Kazunori Nakayama, who works in theoretical physics, said “To find a new force, you close two objects together and measure the force between them. However, an unwanted force (known as the Casimir force) arises in the micrometer range, masking the effect of new forces. In this study, we theoretically demonstrated the possibility that the Casimir force can be reduced to zero with the introduction of Weyl semimetals, and the force created by the new quantum field can be searched for with high sensitivity.".

Hideo Iizuka, a senior researcher who is one of the significant contributors to this paper and has been conducting research on the Casimir force for its implementation in the industrial field, said, "We have known that the Casimir force can be zeroed by introducing Weyl semimetals. I am surprised and delighted that this greatly impacts particle physics. This was unexpected before QUP activities.”

QUP Director Hazumi continued. “QUP is a research center where researchers with different specialties meet. This time, we provided a place for synergy between theoretical physics and industry researchers and proposed a new method for searching for new quantum fields."

QUP will use this idea to advance the measurement of forces with high precision in the one-millionth-of-a-meter range.

Paper details
Journal: Physical Review D
Title: Zero Casimir force in axion electrodynamics and the search for a new force
Authors: Yohei Ema, Masashi Hazumi, Hideo Iizuka, Kyohei Mukaida, and Kazunori Nakayama
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.108.016009
Paper abstract (PRL): https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.108.016009
Preprint (arXiv.org): https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.14676

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Glossary
Casimir force: A quantum field has zero-point oscillations in a vacuum. This causes a faint force known as the Casimir force between two closely positioned objects. It becomes measurable strength when the distance between the objects is less than one-millionth of a meter.

Weyl semimetal: Left- and right-handed polarized lights exhibit the same properties in a vacuum. In Weyl semimetals, they behave differently.