Casimir-Polder potential as an interaction between induced dipoles

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Physical Review A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.48.4761· OSTI ID:5574075

Power, E A; Thirunamachandran, T ^[1]

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1. Departments of Mathematics and Chemistry, University College London, London WC1E6BT (United Kingdom)

The retarded van der Waals forces between neutral molecules in their ground states is obtained by a conceptually simple route. Vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field induce a dipole moment in each molecule and these induced moments interact via the retarded potential that is appropriate for resonant coupling. The dispersion potential is the sum over the field modes of the product of this potential and the second-order spatial correlation function of the electromagnetic field. This gives the familiar Casimir-Polder potential an an integral over imaginary frequencies. An extension to obtain the interaction energy between one molecule in its ground state and another in an excited state is outlined.

• OSTI ID: 5574075
• Journal Information: Physical Review A; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review A; (United States) Vol. 48:6; ISSN PLRAAN; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

664200* -- Spectra of Atoms & Molecules & their Interactions with Photons-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
CASIMIR EFFECT
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
DIPOLES
ENERGY LEVELS
FUNCTIONS
GROUND STATES
MOLECULES
MULTIPOLES
POLARIZATION
VAN DER WAALS FORCES