Stefan Yoshi Buhmann

Abstract The distinction between vacuum-field and source-radiation effects in phenomena such as the Lamb shift, Casimir forces, and spontaneous emission relies on additional assumptions at the theoretical level, and an experimental approach was never considered feasible. Fermi’s two-atom problem, a Gedankenexperiment on how atoms interact with the electromagnetic field via vacuum and source radiation, provides key theoretical insight.

In this paper we derive local-field corrections for interactions within chiral media using the Onsager real cavity model. The problem is not fully solvable analytically, so we introduce a matrix formalism to determine the correct local-field corrections. We find that left- and right-handed circularly polarized excitations yield different correction factors inside a chiral medium, analogous to their different propagation velocities.

Abstract Resonance energy transfer between chiral molecules can be used to discriminate between different enantiomers. The transfer rate between chiral molecules consists of nondiscriminatory and discriminatory parts. We derive these two rate contributions in the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics.