Roughness corrections to the Casimir force: The importance of local surface slope

This paper concentrates on a study where finite conductivity corrections are included in the theoretical description of the effects of roughness on the Casimir force. The roughness data were taken from gold films evaporated onto silicon and polysterene spheres. We conclude that for a detailed comparison with experimental data, i.e., at the level of at least 5% at short separations below 200 nm, the lateral dimensions of roughness for real films should be included in the theoretical considerations. Moreover, if the rms roughness is considerable, high local surface slopes are shown to have a significant effect on the Casimir force. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.