Theoretical Physicists in the School have determined that quantum fluctuations of the vacuum combined with materials of negative refractive index can lead to incredible levitation effects. The results of this study on quantum levitation by Ulf Leonhardt and Thomas Philbin are to be published in the New Journal of Physics, and are reported upon in the Institute of Physics's Physics Web.

©St. Andrew's
Artist's impression of a thin mirror being held up above another mirror by the quantum levitation effect.


If two small objects are brought close to each other, it turns out that quantum mechanics results in a small attractive force between them, known as the Casimir effect. [More details available from the links below.]

However, the St Andrews work suggests that this attractive force can be converted into a repulsive force if the space between the objects is filled with a new type of meta- material having a negative refractive index.

Why would small replusive forces between tiny objects be of interest? Apart from the fun of the physics, there may be real applications in micro-machines. When we start making very small devices (nanotechnology), a major issue is that the components tend to stick together. It may be that these attractive forces could be overcome with the repulsive forces predicted through the use of quantum levitation.