Provided they’re nanoscale objects.
Magicians have long created the illusion of levitating objects in the air. Now researchers have actually levitated an object, suspending it without the need for external support. Working at the molecular level, the researchers relied on the tendency of certain combinations of molecules to repel each other at close contact, effectively suspending one surface above another by a microscopic distance.
Potential applications of the team’s finding include the development of nanoscale-bearings based on quantum levitation suitable for situations when ultra-low static friction among micro- or nano-fabricated mechanical parts is necessary. Specifically, the researchers envision new types of nanoscale compasses, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.
Aw, man! I was hoping we could at least get some frictionless (or nearly so) macro -scale ball bearings.
May the Casimir-Lifshitz force be with you.
Ale
January 8, 2009, 3:20am
3
Ah, visions of the future, miniature hovercraft, being driven around by little people wearing tiny little red fez hats.
