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The Casimir force is often explained in connection with the zero point energy of the quantized EM field, and the fact(?) that metal boundaries modify this spectrum in such a way that a force is created.
However, other sources (including some discussions on this forum) say that this is not the deepest explanation. For example, models based on Lipschitz are based on the behavior of electrons within the boundaries, and are more accurate in certain cases where the zero-point EM model would fail. This discrepancy shows up as extra terms containing the fine structure constant via the measured material properties. So the apparent existence of the zero point EM field within a Casimir type structure is merely an emergent phenomenon and not an inherent property of "The Vacuum".
But this, too, seemed a bit worrying to me for a moment -- since it could mean that the entire idea the quantized EM field could then be written off as an emergent phenomenon. Of course, this path hits a roadblock as soon as we look at the behavior of single photons, entangled photon pairs etc.
So the point of the above is that I'd just like to confirm if the following statement is correct: "The quantization of the EM field is a fundamental thing in its own right, but in the context of Casimir force we are actually dealing with an emergent phenomenon that just happens to resemble and mimic the quantized field in some limited ways."
However, other sources (including some discussions on this forum) say that this is not the deepest explanation. For example, models based on Lipschitz are based on the behavior of electrons within the boundaries, and are more accurate in certain cases where the zero-point EM model would fail. This discrepancy shows up as extra terms containing the fine structure constant via the measured material properties. So the apparent existence of the zero point EM field within a Casimir type structure is merely an emergent phenomenon and not an inherent property of "The Vacuum".
But this, too, seemed a bit worrying to me for a moment -- since it could mean that the entire idea the quantized EM field could then be written off as an emergent phenomenon. Of course, this path hits a roadblock as soon as we look at the behavior of single photons, entangled photon pairs etc.
So the point of the above is that I'd just like to confirm if the following statement is correct: "The quantization of the EM field is a fundamental thing in its own right, but in the context of Casimir force we are actually dealing with an emergent phenomenon that just happens to resemble and mimic the quantized field in some limited ways."
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