  We propose an optomechanical structure consisting of a photonic-crystal
(holey) membrane suspended above a layered silicon-on-insulator substrate in
which resonant bonding/antibonding optical forces created by externally
incident light from above enable all-optical control and actuation of stiction
effects induced by the Casimir force. In this way, one can control how the
Casimir force is expressed in the mechanical dynamics of the membrane, not by
changing the Casimir force directly but by optically modifying the geometry and
counteracting the mechanical spring constant to bring the system in or out of
regimes where Casimir physics dominate. The same optical response (reflection
spectrum) of the membrane to the incident light can be exploited to accurately
measure the effects of the Casimir force on the equilibrium separation of the
membrane.
