Thermal effects in the magnetic Casimir-Polder interaction

TL;DR

This paper studies how thermal effects influence the magnetic Casimir-Polder interaction between an atom and a metallic surface, revealing a repulsive correction sensitive to material dissipation.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the thermal magnetic Casimir-Polder interaction, emphasizing the role of Ohmic dissipation in the material.

Findings

Thermal effects induce a repulsive correction in the magnetic Casimir-Polder interaction.

The interaction's magnitude depends on the Ohmic dissipation in the metallic surface.

Magnetic interactions differ from electrical ones in their sensitivity to material dissipation.

Abstract

We investigate the magnetic dipole coupling between a metallic surface and an atom in a thermal state, ground state and excited hyperine state. This interaction results in a repulsive correction and - unlike the electrical dipole contribution - depends sensitively on the Ohmic dissipation in the material.