What this work contributes
Measures the alignment torque between an anisotropic solid crystal and a separated liquid crystal using the liquid crystal's twist. Material choice changes the sign and magnitude, and measured angular and separation dependences agree with calculations within reported uncertainties.
Where the evidence stops
This is a torque between interacting materials in a supported experimental cell, not unrestricted spin or translational thrust of a closed device. Resetting orientation and operating a cycle require work and angular-momentum accounting.
Original source
David A. T. Somers, Joseph L. Garrett, Kevin J. Palm, Jeremy N. Munday. Measurement of the Casimir torque. Nature 564, 386–389 (2018).
Source date: 2018-12-19.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0777-8
How we use it
This record belongs to Casimir forces. Its evidence label describes the cited work, not the maturity of a Metric Flight device. Follow the original methods, corrections and conditions before transferring a result to a different geometry or scale.
Editorial note reviewed 19 October 2026. AI assisted research discovery and synthesis. Citation metadata and claims were checked against primary publication or institutional records; full-text access varies. Read the source for the complete method.