Dispersive forces on bodies and atoms: A unified approach

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Christian Raabe and Dirk-Gunnar Welsch
Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany

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Received 16 February 2006; published 22 June 2006; publisher error corrected 27 June 2006

Aunified approach to the calculation of dispersive forces on ground-statebodies and atoms is given. It is based on theground-state Lorentz force density acting on the charge and currentdensities attributed to the polarization and magnetization in linearly, locally,and causally responding media. The theory is applied to dielectricmacro- and micro-objects, including single atoms. Existing formulas valid forweakly polarizable matter are generalized to allow also for stronglypolarizable matter. In particular when micro-objects can be regarded assingle atoms, well-known formulas for the Casimir-Polder force on atomsand the van der Waals interaction between atoms are recovered.It is shown that the force acting on medium atoms—incontrast to isolated atoms—is in general screened by the othermedium atoms.

URL:	http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevA.73.063822
DOI:	10.1103/PhysRevA.73.063822
PACS:	42.50.Nn; 42.50.Vk; 32.80.Lg; 12.20.-m 42.50.Nn Quantum optical phenomena in absorbing, dispersive and conducting media 42.50.Vk Mechanical effects of light on atoms, molecules, electrons, and ions 32.80.Lg Mechanical effects of light on atoms, molecules, and ions 12.20.-m Quantum electrodynamics YEAR: 2006
KEYWORDS:	ground states, van der Waals forces, Casimir effect

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Erratum

Publisher's Note: Dispersive forces on bodies and atoms: A unified approach [Phys. Rev. A 73, 063822 (2006)]
Christian Raabe and Dirk-Gunnar Welsch
Phys. Rev. A 74, 019901 (E) (2006)