The Vacuum in Quantum Electrodynamics

The concept of vacuum in quantum electrodynamics

A re-evaluation of the concept of vacuum in quantum electrodynamics is presented, focusing on the vacuum of the quantized electromagnetic field. In contrast to the ‘nothingness’ associated to the idea of classical vacuum, subtle aspects are found in relation to the vacuum of the quantized electromagnetic field both at theoretical and experimental levels. These are not the usually called vacuum ...

Quantum Electrodynamics of Casimir Momentum: Momentum of the Quantum Vacuum?

Quantum electrodynamics in the squeezed vacuum state: Electron mass shift

Due to the nonvanishing average photon population of the squeezed vacuum state, finite corrections to the scattering matrix are obtained. The lowest order contribution to the electron mass shift for a one mode squeezed vacuum state is given by δm(Ω, s)/m = α(2/π)(Ω/m) sinh(s), where Ω and s stand for the mode frequency and the squeeze parameter and α for the fine structure constant, respectivel...

Vacuum photon splitting in Lorentz-violating quantum electrodynamics.

Radiative corrections arising from Lorentz violation in the fermion sector induce a nonzero amplitude for vacuum photon splitting. At one loop, the on-shell amplitude acquires both CPT-even and CPT-odd contributions forbidden in conventional electrodynamics.

Covariant Electrodynamics in Vacuum

The generalized Galilei covariant Maxwell equations and their EM field transformations are applied to the vacuum electrodynamics of a charged particle moving with an arbitrary velocity v in an inertial frame with EM carrier (ether) of velocity w. In accordance with the Galilean relativity principle, all velocities have absolute meaning (relative to the ether frame with isotropic light propagati...