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Thermal Lifshitz Force between an Atom and a Conductor with a Small Density of Carriers

L. P. Pitaevskii
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 163202 – Published 17 October 2008
Physics logo See Synopsis: Casimir effects ⎯ in the real world

Abstract

A new theory describing the interaction between atoms and a conductor with small densities of current carriers is presented. The theory takes into account the penetration of the static component of the thermally fluctuating field in the conductor and generalizes the Lifshitz theory in the presence of a spatial dispersion. The equation obtained for the force describes the continuous crossover between the Lifshitz results for dielectrics and metals.

  • Figure
  • Received 7 September 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.163202

©2008 American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Casimir effects ⎯ in the real world

Published 27 October 2008

When two bulk objects are separated by a sufficiently small distance, quantum fluctuations in the electromagnetic field give rise to Casimir forces between them. Two papers explore how these forces are affected by the electrical properties of the materials.

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Authors & Affiliations

L. P. Pitaevskii

  • CNR INFM-BEC and Department of Physics, University of Trento, I-38050 Povo, Trento, Italy and Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems, ul. Kosygina 2, 119334 Moscow, Russia

Comments & Replies

Comment on “Thermal Lifshitz Force between an Atom and a Conductor with a Small Density of Carriers”

Bodo Geyer, G. L. Klimchitskaya, U. Mohideen, and V. M. Mostepanenko
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 189301 (2009)

Comment on “Contribution of Drifting Carriers to the Casimir-Lifshitz and Casimir-Polder Interactions with Semiconductor Materials”

R. S. Decca, E. Fischbach, B. Geyer, G. L. Klimchitskaya, D. E. Krause, D. López, U. Mohideen, and V. M. Mostepanenko
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 189303 (2009)

See Also

Contribution of Drifting Carriers to the Casimir-Lifshitz and Casimir-Polder Interactions With Semiconductor Materials

Diego A. R. Dalvit and Steve K. Lamoreaux
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 163203 (2008)

Pitaevskii Replies:

L. P. Pitaevskii
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 189302 (2009)

Dalvit and Lamoreaux Reply:

Diego A. R. Dalvit and Steve K. Lamoreaux
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 189304 (2009)

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Issue

Vol. 101, Iss. 16 — 17 October 2008

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