Exploring Lee-Wick finite electrodynamics

Abstract: We consider the Lee-Wick (LW) finite electrodynamics, i.e., the U(1) gauge theory where a (gauge-invariant) dimension-6 operator containing higher-derivatives is added to the free Lagrangian of the U(1) sector. Three bounds on the LW heavy photon mass are then estimated. It is amazing that one of these bounds, actually the most reliable one, is of the order of the vectorial bosons masses found in nature. The lowest order modification of the Coulomb potential due to the presence of the higher-derivative term is obtained afterward by means of two outstanding methods: one of them is based on the marriage of quantum mechanics with the nonrelativistic limit of quantum field theory; the other, pioneered by Dirac, makes use of a gauge-invariant but path-dependent variables formalism. Interestingly enough, these approaches, despite being radically different, lead to the same result which seems to indicate that they are equivalent term by term.