Metamaterials are fascinating tools that can structure not only surface plasmons and electromagnetic waves but also electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations. The possibility of shaping the quantum vacuum is a powerful concept that ultimately allows engineering the interaction between macroscopic surfaces and quantum emitters such as atoms, molecules, or quantum dots. The long-range atom-surface inte...

In this paper we have analyzed the ADEOS/POLDER data over Mongolia obtained in June 13, 1997. We estimated aerosol's optical thickness and Ångström exponent from both the reflectance and polarization data at 443 nm for the desert area. Using the atmospheric correction scheme based on the retrieval aerosol optical parameters, we got estimates the surface reflectance form POLDER data at 443, 670,...

[1] In this paper, we compare reflectance and polarization measurements from two different satellite instruments, namely, the imager Polarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances (POLDER) and the spectrometer Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY). Both instruments are able to measure not only the Earth reflectance but also the state of l...

Abstract. A general theory of the Casimir-Polder interaction of single atoms with dispersing and absorbing magnetodielectric bodies is presented, which is based on QED in linear, causal media. Both ground-state and excited atoms are considered. Whereas the Casimir-Polder force acting on a ground-state atom can conveniently be derived from a perturbative calculation of the atom-field coupling en...

We demonstrate that the static ground state atom, which interacts with a conformally coupled massless scalar field in the de Sitter invariant vacuum, can obtain a position-dependent energy-level shift and this shift could cause a Casimir-Polder-like force on it. Interestingly no such force arises on the inertial atom bathed in a thermal radiation in the Minkowski universe. Thus, although the en...

We apply general formalism of quantum field theory and addition theorem for Bessel functions to derive formula for the Casimir-Polder energy of interaction between a polarizable particle and a dilute dielectric ball and Casimir energy of a dilute dielectric ball. The correspondence between the Casimir-Polder formula and Casimir energy of a dilute dielectric ball is shown. Different approaches t...

[1] We estimate aerosol absorption over the clear-sky oceans using aerosol geophysical products from POLDER-1 space measurements and absorption properties from ground-based AERONET measurements. Our best estimate is 2.5 Wm 2 averaged over the 8-month lifetime of POLDER-1. Low and high absorption estimates are 2.2 and 3.1 Wm 2 based on the variability in aerosol singlescattering albedo observed ...

We apply general formalism of quantum field theory and addition theorem for Bessel functions to derive formula for the Casimir-Polder energy of interaction between a polarizable particle and a dilute dielectric ball and Casimir energy of a dilute dielectric ball. The correspondence between the Casimir-Polder formula and Casimir energy of a dilute dielectric ball is shown. Different approaches t...

The radiometric sensitivity of the POLarization and Directionality of the Earth’s Reflectances (POLDER) instrument in the ocean color spectral bands (443, 490, and 565 nm) was checked vicariously by comparing top-of-atmosphere normalized radiances measured by the instrument with those computed for the same geometries using a radiative transfer model. In situ measurements of aerosol optical thic...

We derive closed expressions for the Casimir-Polder potential between metal nanoparticles as well as for the light-induced interaction owing to the gradient force. Within the validity of the dipole approximation, the maximum interaction energy turns out to be proportional to the plasma frequency, and it is comparable to the thermal energy at T=300 K. On the other hand, the light-induced interac...