Measuring the Casimir torque

It is well-known that the confinement of quantum electromagnetic fluctuations between two macroscopic objects can result in a force, known as the Casimir force. However, in addition to this force, a torque has been predicted between optically anisotropic materials. In this presentation I will discuss counter-intuitive ways to increase the torque (e.g. placing the objects in a dielectric medium rather than vacuum) and our recent experiments that confirm its existence.