dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe Casimir effect within scattering theory
| Authors | A. Lambrecht, P. A. Maia Neto, S. Reynaud |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0611103 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0611103 |
| DOI | 10.1088/1367-2630/8/10/243 |
| Journal | New Journal of Physics 8, 243 (2006) |
Abstract
We review the theory of the Casimir effect using scattering techniques. After years of theoretical efforts, this formalism is now largely mastered so that the accuracy of theory-experiment comparisons is determined by the level of precision and pertinence of the description of experimental conditions. Due to an imperfect knowledge of the optical properties of real mirrors used in the experiment, the effect of imperfect reflection remains a source of uncertainty in theory-experiment comparisons. For the same reason, the temperature dependence of the Casimir force between dissipative mirrors remains a matter of debate. We also emphasize that real mirrors do not obey exactly the assumption of specular reflection, which is used in nearly all calculations of material and temperature corrections. This difficulty may be solved by using a more general scattering formalism accounting for non-specular reflection with wavevectors and field polarizations mixed. This general formalism has already been fruitfully used for evaluating the effect of roughness on the Casimir force as well as the lateral Casimir force appearing between corrugated surfaces. The commonly used `proximity force approximation' turns out to lead to inaccuracies in the description of these two effects.
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"abstract": "We review the theory of the Casimir effect using scattering techniques. After\nyears of theoretical efforts, this formalism is now largely mastered so that\nthe accuracy of theory-experiment comparisons is determined by the level of\nprecision and pertinence of the description of experimental conditions. Due to\nan imperfect knowledge of the optical properties of real mirrors used in the\nexperiment, the effect of imperfect reflection remains a source of uncertainty\nin theory-experiment comparisons. For the same reason, the temperature\ndependence of the Casimir force between dissipative mirrors remains a matter of\ndebate. We also emphasize that real mirrors do not obey exactly the assumption\nof specular reflection, which is used in nearly all calculations of material\nand temperature corrections. This difficulty may be solved by using a more\ngeneral scattering formalism accounting for non-specular reflection with\nwavevectors and field polarizations mixed. This general formalism has already\nbeen fruitfully used for evaluating the effect of roughness on the Casimir\nforce as well as the lateral Casimir force appearing between corrugated\nsurfaces. The commonly used `proximity force approximation\u0027 turns out to lead\nto inaccuracies in the description of these two effects.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0611103",
"authors": [
"A. Lambrecht",
"P. A. Maia Neto",
"S. Reynaud"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1088/1367-2630/8/10/243",
"journal_ref": "New Journal of Physics 8, 243 (2006)",
"title": "The Casimir effect within scattering theory",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0611103"
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