Fluctuating Casimir Forces and Mirror-Induced Radiation

Abstract

Most of the spectacular laboratory successses of cavity QED feature only a few field modes at a time. By contrast, the field theorist is more challenged by “broad-band” problems with a continuous spectrum of modes extending to arbitrarily high frequencies, even though the predicted end effects are far below the reach of experiments at present. Recently tackled questions of this kind concern the fluctuations of the zero-point forces experienced by reflectors, the radiation (photon pairs) they emit when they move, and the consequent radiative reaction. Some new ideas are required to eliminate new kinds of divergences in the mean-square deviations (as distinct from the mean values themselves), and also in calculating the radiation emitted by mirrors moving so that their surface remains undisplaced. This introductory review aims to explore some of the basic questions rather than the technicalities of such calculations.