Derivative expansion for the boundary interaction terms in the Casimir effect: generalized $\delta$-potentials

Abstract

We calculate the Casimir energy for scalar fields in interaction with finite-width mirrors, described by nonlocal interaction terms. These terms, which include quantum effects due to the matter fields inside the mirrors, are approximated by means of a local expansion procedure. As a result of this expansion, an effective theory for the vacuum field emerges, which can be written in terms of generalized $\delta$-potentials. We compute explicitly the Casimir energy for these potentials and show that, for some particular cases, it is possible to reinterpret them as imposing imperfect Dirichlet boundary conditions