Table of Contents
Foreword 1
Introduction 3
Chapter 1 Normal mode quantum electrodynamics: the quantum vacuum and its consequences 7
1 Wave-particle duality 7
1.1 Light as a particle 7
1.2 Light as a wave 8
1.3 The photon 8
2 Classical electrodynamics in free space 9
2.1 Normal modes in free space 11
2.2 Normal modes inside a cuboid cavity 13
2.3 Normal modes: general remarks 15
2.4 Electromagnetic waves 16
2.5 Energy of the electromagnetic field 16
3 Normal mode quantum electrodynamics 18
3.1 Basic elements of quantum theory 18
3.2 The quantised electromagnetic field 20
3.3 Quantum statistics and Fock states 21
3.4 Energy of the electromagnetic field 23
3.5 Quantum dynamics of the electromagnetic field 24
4 The quantum vacuum 25
4.1 Vacuum fluctuations 26
4.2 Thermal fluctuations 27
5 Quantum vacuum effects in free space 29
5.1 Atom-field interactions 29
5.2 Lamb shift 32
5.3 Spontaneous decay 36
5.4 Electron magnetic moment 38
5.5 Van der Waals potential 39
6 Quantum vacuum effects near boundaries 40
6.1 Casimir-Polder potential 41
6.2 Purcell effect 41
6.3 Electron magnetic moment 42
6.4 Van der Waals potential 42
7 The Casimir force 42
7.1 Perfectly conducting plates 42
7.2 Conducting and permeable plates 48
7.3 Thermal effects 49
8 The quantum vacuum revisited 51
8.1 Vacuum energy 51
8.2 Changes in vacuum energy 52
8.3 Virtual photons 52
9 Normal mode QED: discussion 53
9.1 Advantages 53
9.2 Limitations 54
10 Problems 55
11 Bibliography 56
Chapter 2 Van der Waals and Casimir-Polder dispersion forces 61
12 Introduction 61
13 Van der Waals interaction 64
13.1 Quasistatic analysis 65
13.2 Electrodynamic analysis 67
14 Casimir-Polder atom-surface interaction 87
14.1 Quasistatic analysis 87
14.2 Electrodynamic analysis 89
15 A few comments 93
16 Non-additivity of dipolar interactions 97
16.1 Example: non-additivity in atom-surface interaction 97
16.2 Multiple scattering as the origin of non-additivity 100
17 Problems 103
18 Bibliography 105
Chapter 3 The Casimir stress in real materials 107
19 Dispersion and dissipation in real media 108
19.1 Dipole model of the optical response 109
19.2 The Kramers-Kronig relations 110
19.3 Generalised mode decomposition 113
19.4 Open quantum systems and Langcvin equations 115
19.5 Linear fluctuation-dissipation theorem 117
20 The stress tensor in vacuum 119
21 Lifshitz theory of dispersion forces 121
21.1 Rytov's theory of fluctuating electromagnetic fields 122
21.2 Lifshitz's approach to the Casimir force 122
21.3 Green function approach 128
21.4 Thermal contribution to Casimir-Lifshitz forces 134
22 Problems 136
23 Bibliography 137
Chapter 4 Macroscopic QED and vacuum forces 139
24 Preliminary remarks 139
25 An introduction to macroscopic QED 140
25.1 Macroscopic QED in one dimension 151
25.2 Macroscopic QED in three dimensions 155
26 Vacuum forces between moving bodies 164
26.1 Moving bodies in ID macroscopic QED 165
26.2 Computing classical forces 167
26.3 Quantum theory of radiation pressure 170
26.4 The vacuum force 173
26.5 A simple case of quantum friction 175
26.6 Moving bodies in 3D macroscopic QED 178
26.7 Quantum friction between sliding plates 183
27 Problems 189
28 Bibliography 191
Chapter 5 Measuring Casimir phenomena 195
29 General experimental considerations 196
30 Representative experimental results 197
30.1 Early results 198
30.2 Beginning of the "modern Casimir era" 199
30.3 Effect of material properties 203
30.4 Effects of temperature 210
30.5 Recent directions 212
31 Techniques for measurement 213
31.1 Minimum detectable interaction 215
32 Measurement of the interaction 216
32.1 Static method 216
32.2 Dynamic method 218
33 Measurement of the separation 219
34 Calibration of the apparatus 220
35 Comparison with theory 222
36 Problems 222
37 Bibliography 224
Chapter 6 Casimir forces at the cutting edge 227
38 Experimental issues in Casimir physics 227
38.1 Drude or plasma? 228
38.2 Patch potentials 230
39 Theoretical questions in Casimir physics 232
39.1 Repulsive shells and Casimir's electron 232
39.2 Divergence of the Casimir stress 234
39.3 Maxwell's fishcye and renormalisation 238
39.4 The Casimir effect and cosmology 241
40 Bibliography 244
Further reading 247
Appendix: Regularisation techniques 251
A Point-splitting regularisatiori 251
B Dimensional regular is at ion 253
C Zeta-function regularisation 255
Index 257
About the authors 263
