Macroscopic quantum electrodynamics and duality

Abstract

We discuss under what conditions the duality between electric and magnetic fields is a valid symmetry of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics. It is shown that Maxwell's equations in the absence of free charges satisfy duality invariance on an operator level, whereas this is not true for Lorentz forces and atom--field couplings in general. We prove that derived quantities like Casimir forces, local-field corrected decay rates as well as van-der-Waals potentials are invariant with respect to a global exchange of electric and magnetic quantities. This exact symmetry can be used to deduce the physics of new configurations on the basis of already established ones.

4 pages, minor corrections

References in corpus (8)

• Van-der-Waals potentials of paramagnetic atoms
• The van der Waals energy of atomic systems near absorbing and dispersing bodies
• Body-assisted van der Waals interaction between two atoms
• Local-field correction to one- and two-atom van der Waals interactions
• Casimir-Polder interaction of atoms with magnetodielectric bodies
• Van der Waals interaction and spontaneous decay of an excited atom in a superlens-type geometry
• Van der Waals Interactions in a Magneto-Dielectric Medium
• Interatomic van der Waals potential in the presence of a magneto-electric sphere

Cited by in corpus (16)

• Numerical methods for computing Casimir interactions
• Macroscopic quantum electrodynamics and duality in non-local and Onsager-violating media
• Enhanced chiral discriminatory van der Waals interactions mediated by chiral surfaces
• Extreme enhancement of spin relaxation mediated by surface magnon polaritons
• Macroscopic QED - concepts and applications
• Atomic multipole relaxation rates near surfaces
• Medium-assisted van der Waals dispersion interactions involving chiral molecules
• Universal scaling laws for dispersion interactions
• Casimir effect for perfect electromagnetic conductors (PEMCs): A sum rule for attractive/repulsive forces
• Casimir-Polder interaction between an atom and a small magnetodielectric sphere
• Born-series approach to the calculation of Casimir forces
• Limits to Quantum Gate Fidelity from Near-Field Thermal and Vacuum Fluctuations
• Switching the sign of the Casimir force between two PEMC spheres
• Worldline approach for numerical computation of electromagnetic Casimir energies. I. Scalar field coupled to magnetodielectric media
• Casimir force on amplifying bodies
• Duality, decay rates and local-field models in macroscopic QED