A quantum top in a Casimir-induced quadrupole field

A quantum top in a Casimir-induced quadrupole field

Alternative Title: Casimir effect on a quantum top

Author: Fitzgerald, Eric Andrew Vitus

Citable URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68881

Other Contributors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics.

Advisor: Robert L. Jaffe.

Department: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics.

Publisher: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Date Issued: 2011

Abstract:

The Casimir energy is the change in energy of a configuration of objects due to second quantization of the electromagnetic field. The Casimir energy of a dielectric object inside a perfectly conducting sphere was recently analyzed [1]. Building on this result, I calculate the changes in energy levels of a quantum top inside a cavity after promoting the Casimir energy to a quantum Hamiltonian. I apply the result to a diatomic molecule and find the changes in the spectroscopy induced by the Casimir effect. This can potentially provide an additional experimental probe into the Casimir effect.

Description:

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-38).

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68881

Keywords: Physics.

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