Scalar Casimir-Polder forces for uniaxial corrugations

Journal Article · Mon Dec 15 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.78.125022· OSTI ID:21251171

Doebrich, Babette ^[1]; DeKieviet, Maarten ^[2]; Gies, Holger ^[1]

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1. Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena (Germany)
2. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 12, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

We investigate the Dirichlet-scalar equivalent of Casimir-Polder forces between an atom and a surface with arbitrary uniaxial corrugations. The complexity of the problem can be reduced to a one-dimensional Green's function equation along the corrugation which can be solved numerically. Our technique is fully nonperturbative in the height profile of the corrugation. We present explicit results for experimentally relevant sinusoidal and sawtooth corrugations. Parameterizing the deviations from the planar limit in terms of an anomalous dimension which measures the power-law deviation from the planar case, we observe up to order-one anomalous dimensions at small and intermediate scales and a universal regime at larger distances. This large-distance universality can be understood from the fact that the relevant fluctuations average over corrugation structures smaller than the atom-wall distance.

• OSTI ID: 21251171
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 78; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ANOMALOUS DIMENSION
ATOMS
CASIMIR EFFECT
DISTANCE
EQUATIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
GREEN FUNCTION
HEIGHT
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
SAWTOOTH OSCILLATIONS
SURFACES