Comparison of the Lifshitz Theory Using the Nonconventional Fit of Response Functions with Precise Measurements of the Casimir Force

Abstract

It is known that the fundamental Lifshitz theory, which is based on the first principles of thermal quantum field theory, experiences difficulties when compared with precise measurements of the Casimir force. We analyzed the nonconventional fit of the response functions of many materials along the imaginary frequency axis to the empirical model of “modified” oscillators, which was recently proposed in the literature. According to our results, this model is unacceptable because at high frequencies it leads to the asymptotic behavior of the response functions, which is in contradiction with that following from the fundamental physical principles. We calculated the Casimir interaction in the configurations of several precise experiments using the Lifshitz theory and the response functions to the quantized electromagnetic field expressed in terms of modified oscillators and demonstrated that the obtained results are excluded by the measurement data. This invalidated a claim made in the literature that the Casimir–van der Waals forces calculated using these response functions are in remarkable agreement with the experimental values. Possible reasons for a disagreement between experiment and theory are discussed, and the way to improve the situation is indicated.