Non-Riemannian geometrical optics in QED

Abstract

A non-minimal photon-torsion axial coupling in the quantum electrodynamics (QED) framework is considered. The geometrical optics in Riemannian-Cartan spacetime is considering and a plane wave expansion of the electromagnetic vector potential is considered leading to a set of the equations for the ray congruence. Since we are interested mainly on the torsion effects in this first report we just consider the Riemann-flat case composed of the Minkowskian spacetime with torsion. It is also shown that in torsionic de Sitter background the vacuum polarisation does alter the propagation of individual photons, an effect which is absent in Riemannian spaces.