INTERACTION ENERGY FOR A PAIR OF QUANTUM-WELLS

We present a calculation of the interaction energy and force between t wo quantum wells in which the wells are treated as strictly two-dimens ional metallic sheets. Numerical results are presented for separation values ranging from 1 to 10(12) Angstrom. Both nonretarded and retarde d calculations are presented. Three distinct ranges with different sep aration dependences are clearly revealed in the results; the Casimir l imit for large separations; the van der Waals range for intermediate s eparations: the small separation limit where also the single-particle continuum contributes. The result in the Casimir limit coincides with the corresponding result for two metal half-spaces but the van der Waa ls result is different from both the half-space result and that of two thin films. In the present problem the energy and force varies as d(- 5/2) and d(-7/2). respectively.