Limits on Nonstandard Forces in the Submicrometer Range

Abstract

We report the search for a nonstandard force by measuring the Casimir forces in the 0.48-6.5 microm range. By comparing the data and the theory of the Casimir force, we have obtained constraints for the parameter alpha of the Yukawa-type deviations from Newtonian gravity. The obtained limits are more stringent than previous limits in the 1.0-2.9 microm range. Furthermore, we have obtained lower limits for the fundamental scale M* for gauged baryon number in the bulk. In particular, for six extra dimensions, the limits on M* are stringent in the range 6.5x10(-6)<rho<2.5x10(-4).