📝 SummarXiv

Abstract

Experiments have shown that strong coupling between molecular excitations and a mode of a Fabry--P\'erot cavity can significantly alter molecular properties, such as reaction rates and equilibrium constants. However, in spite of the large body of theoretical work, the mechanism behind this change is still not well understood. In order to make progress, we first take a step back and question the appropriateness of the Hamiltonian that most recent studies are based on. In particular, we investigate the dipole self-energy cross terms, which have received attention as they seem to mediate distance-independent interactions between all molecules in the cavity. However, it is often overlooked that these terms are known to cancel exactly with the intermolecular Coulombic interactions -- which on the other hand are usually neglected. In this work, we revisit how this cancellation comes about in free space and in a perfect cavity, and we discuss how the situation changes for a more realistic cavity in the framework of macroscopic QED. Finally, we discuss the implications of this cancellation for the single-mode Hamiltonian.