2008/11/26 by G. L. Klimchitskaya
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Current (fluid) #Dielectric #Diffusion #Diffusion current #Electron #Inclusion (mineral) #Physics #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum mechanics #Statistical physics #Theoretical physics #Thermal #Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies #Thermal conduction #Thermal equilibrium #Thermal properties of materials #Thermodynamics #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1742-6596/161/1/012002
16 pages, 5 figures, uses jpconf.cls style. Invited plenary talk at "60 Years of the Casimir Effect," Brasilia, June 21-29, 2008
arxiv created 2008/11/26 · openalex publication_date 2009/04/01 · arxiv updated 2015/05/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
The problems and paradoxes of the Lifshitz theory in application to real dielectric and semiconductor materials are reviewed. It is shown that the inclusion of drift current of conduction electrons into the model of dielectric response results in contradictions with both thermodynamics and experimental data of different experimental groups. Physical reasons why the problems and paradoxes arise are analyzed and found to be connected with the violation of basic applicability condition of the Lifshitz theory, the thermal equilibrium. A recent alternative approach to the resolution of the problems based on the inclusion of screening effects and diffusion current is considered and demonstrated to be thermodynamically and experimentally inconsistent. It is argued that the inclusion of the diffusion current leads to an even deeper violation of thermal equilibrium. Phenomenologically, the Lifshitz theory with role of drift and diffusion currents neglected is shown to be free of problems and in agreement with both thermodynamics and all available experimental data.