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Casimir-Lifshitz Theory for Cavity Modification of Ground-State Energy

Oleg V. Kotov1,2,3,*, Johannes Feist2,3, Francisco J. García-Vidal2,3, and Timur O. Shegai1,†

  • *Contact author: oleg.kotov@uam.es
  • †Contact author: timurs@chalmers.se
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 263601 – Published 24 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/v79d-tty5

Abstract

A theory for ground-state modifications of matter embedded in a Fabry-Perot cavity and whose excitations are described as harmonic oscillators is presented. Based on Lifshitz’s theory for vacuum energy and employing a Lorentz model for the material permittivity, a nonperturbative macroscopic QED model that accounts for the infinite number of cavity modes with a continuum of their wave vectors was built. Differences from the commonly used single-mode Hopfield Hamiltonian are revealed. The nonresonant role of polaritons in the ground-state energy shift is also demonstrated, showing that the cavity effect is mainly caused by static screening occurring at very low frequencies. The theory allows for a straightforward incorporation of losses and temperature effects.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 263601– Published 24 December, 2025
  • Received 4 September 2025
  • Accepted 5 December 2025
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