  The bridge between quantum vacuum photon modes and properties of patterned
surfaces is currently being established on solid theoretical grounds. Based on
these foundations, the manipulation of quantum vacuum photon modes in a
nanostructured cavity is theoretically shown to be able to turn the
Lifshitz-van der Waals forces from attractive to repulsive regime. Since this
concept relies on surface nanopatterning instead of chemical composition
changes, it drastically relaxes the usual conditions for achieving repulsive
Lifshitz-van der Waals forces. As a case study, the potential interaction
energy between a nanopatterned polyethylene slab and a flat polyethylene slab
with water as intervening medium is calculated. Extremely small corrugations
heights (less than ten nanometers) are shown to be able to turn the
Lifshitz-van der Waals force from attractive to repulsive, the interaction
strength being controlled by the corrugation height. This new approach could
lead to various applications in surface science.
