van der Waals energy under strong atom-field coupling in doped carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper develops a unified quantum electrodynamics approach to accurately calculate van der Waals energy for atoms near doped carbon nanotubes, especially under strong coupling conditions where traditional models fail.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive integral equation valid for both strong and weak atom-field coupling regimes, advancing the understanding of atom-nanotube interactions.

Findings

Weak-coupling models are invalid near nanotube surfaces.

Numerical solutions reveal significant deviations in van der Waals energy under strong coupling.

The formalism provides a more accurate description of atom-nanotube interactions.

Abstract

Using a unified macroscopic QED formalism, we derive an integral equation for the van der Waals energy of a two-level atomic system near a carbon nanotube. The equation is valid for both strong and weak atom-vacuum-field coupling. By solving it numerically, we demonstrate the inapplicability of weak-coupling-based van der Waals interaction models in a close vicinity of the nanotube surface.