Electric-field correlations in quantum charged fluids coupled to the radiation field

TL;DR

This paper revisits the macroscopic approach to electric-field correlations in quantum charged fluids coupled to radiation, confirming classical results and questioning previous microscopic calculations suggesting long-range algebraic decay.

Contribution

It completes and confirms the macroscopic Landau-Lifshitz approach, challenging prior microscopic results on electric-field correlation decay.

Findings

Macroscopic approach confirms no long-range algebraic decay.

Questions validity of classical electromagnetic field assumptions in prior work.

Reconciles differences between microscopic and macroscopic results.

Abstract

In a recent paper [S.El Boustani, P.R.Buenzli, and Ph.A.Martin, Phys.Rev. E 73, 036113 (2006) cond-mat/0511537], about quantum charges in equilibrium with radiation, among other things the asymptotic form of the electric-field correlation has been obtained by a microscopic calculation. It has been found that this correlation has a long-range algebraic decay (except in the classical limit). The macroscopic approach, in the Course of Theoretical Physics of Landau and Lifshitz, gives no such long-range algebraic decay. In this Brief Report, we revisit and complete the macroscopic approach of Landau and Lifshitz, we confirm their result, and suggest that, perhaps, the use of a classical electromagnetic field by El Boustani et al. was not justified.