We calculate the Casimir force or dispersive van der Waals force between a spherical nanoparticle and a planar substrate, both with arbitrary dielectric properties. We show that the force between the sphere and half-space can be calculated through the interacting surface plasmons of the bodies. Using a Spectral Representation formalism, we show that the force of a sphere made of a material A and a half-space made of a material B differs from the case when the sphere is made of B, and the half-space is made of A. We find that the difference depends on the plasma frequency of the materials, the geometry, and the distance of separation between the sphere and half-space. The differences show the importance of the geometry, and make evident the necessity of realistic descriptions of the system beyond the Derjaguin Approximation or Proximity Theorem Approximation.

• Received 21 November 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.70.195412