Quantum radiation in dielectric media with dispersion and dissipation
Quantum radiation in dielectric media with dispersion and dissipation
By a generalization of the Hopfield model, we construct a microscopic Lagrangian describing a dielectric medium with dispersion and dissipation. This facilitates a well-defined and unambiguous $\textit{ab initio}$ treatment of quantum electrodynamics in such media, even in time-dependent backgrounds. As an example, we calculate the number of photons created by …