Stange, AlexanderImboden, MatthiasJavor, JoshBarrett, Lawrence K.Bishop, David J.2019-06-182019-06-182019-06-182019-04-2210.1038/s41378-019-0054-5https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/157100WOS:000467065100001The Casimir Effect is a physical manifestation of quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic vacuum. When two metal plates are placed close together, typically much less than a micron, the long wavelength modes between them are frozen out, giving rise to a net attractive force between the plates, scaling as d(-4) (or d(-3) for a spherical-planar geometry) even when they are not electrically charged. In this paper, we observe the Casimir Effect in ambient conditions using a modified capacitive micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor. Using a feedback-assisted pick-and-place assembly process, we are able to attach various microstructures onto the post-release MEMS, converting it from an inertial force sensor to a direct force measurement platform with pN (piconewton) resolution. With this system we are able to directly measure the Casimir force between a silver-coated microsphere and goldcoated silicon plate. This device is a step towards leveraging the Casimir Effect for cheap, sensitive, room temperature quantum metrology.Nanoscience & NanotechnologyInstruments & InstrumentationScience & Technology - Other Topicsforceaccelerometertext::journal::journal article::research article