Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: I analyse different decompositions of composite light-matter systems into constituent \nsubsystems. I show that given a single description of a composite atomfield \nsystem, many different decompositions into “atom” and “field” subsystems \ncan be made. I show that these decompositions are generally physically \ninequivalent, and that they can be understood as corresponding to different \nchoices of gauge. I discuss some of the implications this has for the ontology \nof QED, and find experimental signatures that could be used to distinguish \nbetween different theoretical subsystem decompositions.
Author: Adam Stokes
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1587716305