Quantum Maxwell Stresses and the Casimir Effect

TL;DR

This paper analyzes quantum Maxwell stresses and the Casimir effect by evaluating quantum correlators with regularization, revealing how surface divergences cancel and exploring atom-surface interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of Maxwell stress tensor effects on the Casimir force, including divergence cancellation and atom-surface Casimir-Polder interactions.

Findings

Surface divergences cancel when stresses on both sides are considered.

Regularization via generalized zeta function is effective.

Casimir-Polder interactions are influenced by local vacuum distortions.

Abstract

We evaluate the quantum correlators associated with the Maxwell field vacuum distorted by the presence of plane parallel material surfaces. Regularization is performed through the generalized zeta funtion technique. Results are applied to a local analysis of the atractive and repulsive Casimir effect through Maxwell stress tensor. Surface divergences are shown to cancel out when stresses on both sides of the material surface are taken into account. Since an atom can be considered as a probe of the local distortion of the quantum vacuum, Casimir-Polder interactions between atoms and material surfaces are also considered.