Abstract
An atom is necessarily surrounded by a fluctuating electromagnetic field, due partly to its own quantum fluctuations and partly to the zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic vacuum. The energy of interaction between the atom and this field is called the self-energy, the most famous manifestation of which is the Lamb shift in atomic hydrogen. When an atom is placed inside a metal lie cavity, the electromagnetic field is altered because of the boundary conditions imposed by the cavity walls, and there is accordingly a change in the self-energy of the atom. See Fig. 1.
© 1993 Optical Society of America
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