Temperature dependence of the Casimir force for bulk lossy media
Abstract
We discuss the limitations for the applicability of the Lifshitz theory to describe the temperature dependence of the Casimir force between bulk lossy metal slabs of finite sizes. We pay attention to the important fact that Lifshitz’s theory is not applicable when the characteristic wavelength of the fluctuating field, responsible for the temperature-dependent terms in the Casimir force, are longer than the size of the sample. As a result, the widely discussed linearly decreasing temperature dependence of the Casimir force can be observed only for dirty and large metal samples at high enough temperatures. Moreover, for the correct description of the Casimir effect at low enough temperatures, a careful consideration of the concrete geometry of the interacting samples is essential.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review A
- Pub Date:
- September 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.82.032511
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0905.1462
- Bibcode:
- 2010PhRvA..82c2511Y
- Keywords:
-
- 31.30.jh;
- 11.10.Wx;
- 73.61.At;
- QED corrections to long-range and weak interactions;
- Finite-temperature field theory;
- Metal and metallic alloys;
- Condensed Matter - Other Condensed Matter;
- Condensed Matter - Statistical Mechanics
- E-Print:
- 8 pages