Thermal corrections in the Casimir interaction between a metal and dielectric

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.72.022111· OSTI ID:20718057

Geyer, B; Klimchitskaya, G L; Mostepanenko, V M ^[1]

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1. Center of Theoretical Studies and Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leipzig University, Augustusplatz 10/11, D-04109 Leipzig (Germany)

The Casimir interaction between two thick parallel plates, one made of metal and the other of a dielectric, is investigated at nonzero temperature. It is shown that in some temperature intervals the Casimir pressure and the free energy of a fluctuating field are nonmonotonic functions of temperature and the corresponding Casimir entropy can be negative. A physical interpretation for these conclusions is given. At the same time we demonstrate that the entropy vanishes when the temperature goes to zero, i.e., in the Casimir interaction between a metal and a dielectric the Nernst heat theorem is satisfied. The investigation is performed both analytically, by using the model of an ideal metal and dilute dielectric or dielectric with a frequency-independent dielectric permittivity, and numerically for a real metal (Au) and dielectrics with different behaviors of the dielectric permittivity along the imaginary frequency axis (Si and {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3})

• OSTI ID: 20718057
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 72; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CASIMIR EFFECT
CORRECTIONS
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ENTROPY
FREE ENERGY
GOLD
NERNST HEAT THEOREM
PERMITTIVITY
PLATES
SILICON
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE