Repulsive Inverse-Distance Interatomic Interaction from Many-Body Quantum Electrodynamics

TL;DR

This paper uncovers a novel many-body quantum electrodynamics interaction between atoms that decays inversely with distance, potentially exceeding gravitational forces at microscopic scales and offering new insights into fundamental quantum interactions.

Contribution

The study introduces a persistent inverse-distance many-body QED interaction between atoms, revealing a new fundamental force component in the non-retarded regime.

Findings

Identifies a new inverse-distance many-body QED interaction.

Shows the interaction scales with the third power of the fine-structure constant.

Suggests the interaction could surpass gravitational attraction at microscopic scales.

Abstract

Interactions between objects can be classified as fundamental or emergent. Fundamental interactions are either extremely short-range or decay inversely with the separation distance, such as the Coulomb potential between charges or the gravitational attraction between masses. In contrast, emergent quantum van der Waals (vdW) and Casimir interactions decay considerably faster ($R^{-6}$ or $R^{-7}$) with distance $R$. Here we apply perturbative quantum electrodynamics (QED) to a many-body (MB) system of atoms modeled as charged harmonic oscillators, and reveal a persistent inverse-distance MB-QED interaction stemming from the coupling between virtual photons and molecular plasmons in the non-retarded regime. This interaction, scaling with the third power of the fine-structure constant, is reminiscent of the Lamb shift for a single atom. Although weaker than vdW forces, this MB-QED $R^{-1}$ interaction may substantially surpass gravitational attraction in future experiments probing quantum gravity at microscopic scales.