Covariant Quantization of Lorentz-Violating Electromagnetism

Abstract: We present a consistent, generally covariant quantization of light for non-vacuum birefringent, Lorentz-symmetry breaking electrodynamics in the context of the Standard Model Extension. We find that the number of light quanta in the field is not frame independent, and that the interaction of the quantized field with matter is necessarily birefringent. We also show that the conventional Lorenz gauge condition used to restrict the photon-mode basis to solutions of the Maxwell equations must be weakened to consistently describe Lorentz symmetry violation.