ON THE ENERGY BALANCE OF A CASIMIR–ELECTROSTATIC NEMS WITH SYNCHRONIZED CHARGE COMMUTATION

This article investigates the energy balance of a nanometric electromechanical system combining Casimir interaction with a synchronized, automatic electrostatic charge switching mechanism to produce a transient, but higher amplitude, opposing Coulomb force. It is crucial to emphasize that the system does not "extract" energy from the quantum vacuum itself. Instead, the usable energy originates from the mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric bridge, induced by the Casimir force. The proposed model is based on a mobile structure fabricated using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology and operating with gaps sometimes at the nanometer scale. These critical interfaces are formed during the final stage of the fabrication process, after device encapsulation, by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The termination of this low-temperature oxidation or ALD, is controlled by the device itself when the Casimir interface is suitable, allowing a self-contained switching and rectification circuitry enables passive conversion of transient electrical signals into a measurable output. The mechanical movement of the piezoelectric moving element induces transient electrical power signals. These electrical power peaks are automatically rectified into a DC voltage by an autonomous, integrated electronic circuit. The article demonstrates how, over a complete and repetitive operating cycle, the various forms of energy involved are transformed. Naturally, the overall energy balance of the electromechanical system—analyzed within an extended state-space framework that includes contributions from the vacuum field—remains strictly conservative, in accordance with the theorem of mathematician Emmy Noether. This theoretical work aims to stimulate open technical debate and a critical evaluation of the underlying assumptions and the proposed energy balance, with the ultimate goal of a definitive evaluation using a prototype.