Gupta-Bleuler quantization of optical fibers in weak gravitational fields

Abstract

The theory of gauge-fixed Maxwell equations in linear isotropic dielectrics is developed using a generalization of the standard ${R}_{\ensuremath{\xi}}$ gauge-fixing term. In static space times, the theory can be quantized using the Gupta-Bleuler method, which is worked out explicitly for optical fibers either in flat space time or at a constant gravitational potential. This yields a consistent first-principles description of gravitational fiber-optic interferometry at the single-photon level within the framework of quantum field theory in curved space times.