Improved precision measurement of the Casimir force

We report an improved precision measurement of the Casimir force. The force is measured between a large Al coated sphere and flat plate using an atomic force microscope. The primary experimental improvements include the use of smoother metal coatings, reduced noise, lower systematic errors, and independent measurement of surface separations. Also the complete dielectric spectrum of the metal is used in the theory. The average statistical precision remains at the same 1% of the forces measured at the closest separation.