Physics – Condensed Matter – Statistical Mechanics
Scientific paper
2003-08-20
Nucl.Phys. B696 (2004) 468-491
Physics
Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
15 pages, 1 figure
Scientific paper
10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2004.06.006
A macroscopic theory for the molecular or Casimir interaction of dielectric materials with arbitrarily shaped surfaces is developed. The interaction is generated by the quantum and thermal fluctuations of the electromagnetic field which depend on the dielectric function of the materials. Using a path integral approach for the electromagnetic gauge field, we derive an effective Gaussian action which can be used to compute the force between the objects. No assumptions about the independence of the shape and material dependent contributions to the interaction are made. In the limiting case of flat surfaces our approach yields a simple and compact derivation of the Lifshitz theory for molecular forces. For ideal metals with arbitrarily deformed surfaces the effective action can be calculated explicitly. For the general case of deformed dielectric materials the applicability of perturbation theory and numerical techniques to the evaluation of the force from the effective action is discussed.
Buescher Rauno
Emig Thorsten
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