Work

Casimir energy with perfect electromagnetic boundary conditions and duality: A field-theoretic approach

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Using functional integral methods, we study the Casimir effect for the case of two infinite parallel plates in the QED vacuum, with (different) perfect electromagnetic boundary conditions applied to both plates. To enforce these boundary conditions, we add two Lagrange multiplier fields to the action. We subsequently recover the known Casimir energy in two ways: once directly from the path integral and once as the vacuum expectation value of the 00 component of the energy-momentum tensor. Comparing both methods, we show that the energy-momentum tensor must be modified and that it picks up boundary contributions as a consequence. We also discuss electromagnetic duality invariance of the theory and its interplay with the boundaries by generalizing the Deser-Teitelboim implementation of the duality transformation. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Source: Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.110.065015

Authors: David Dudal, Aaron Gobeyn, Thomas Oosthuyse, Sebbe Stouten, David Vercauteren

Institutions: KU Leuven, Duy Tan University

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, KU Leuven

Awards: G1928125218, The Casimir Energy in QCD: from non-perturbative vacuum to flux tube