Dipole Interactions and Fluctuation-Induced Forces

Abstract

Concepts considered in earlier chapters, especially vacuum field fluctuations and zero-point energy, are applied to van der Waals, Casimir, and dipole-dipole resonance interactions, and to field quantization in dissipative dielectric media. Detailed but physically motivated calculations are presented regarding the Lifshitz theory, Casimir and Casimir-Polder forces, and the many-body theory of van der Waals and Casimir interactions based on dyadic Green functions. Expressions for quantized fields in dispersive and dissipative media are derived straightforwardly from Langevin noise theory, and it is shown how this approach is related to the more complicated Fano diagonalization method. Zero-point field energy in dissipative media and its role in Casimir and other effects is discussed in relation to other physical interpretations. Other topics discussed are (Forster) fluorescence resonance energy transfer and the modification of spontaneous emission rates by reflectors and host dielectric media.