# Zero Point field

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-point-field/519075>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 27, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-point-field/519075 "2009-11-27T00:14:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Patrick\_Mc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5e9695/32.png) [@Patrick\_Mc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patrick_Mc)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-point-field/519075/1 "2009-11-27T00:14:40Z")

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Is there a clear definition of the Zero Point Field?

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**Author:** ![badlyburnttoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@badlyburnttoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badlyburnttoast)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zero-point-field/519075/2 "2009-11-27T02:24:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> In quantum field theory, the vacuum state (also called the vacuum) is the quantum state with the lowest possible energy. Generally, it contains no physical particles. The term “zero-point field” is sometimes used as a synonym for the vacuum state of an individual quantized field.

> **[Quantum vacuum state](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_point_field)**
>
> In quantum field theory, the quantum vacuum state (also called the quantum vacuum or vacuum state) is the quantum state with the lowest possible energy. Generally, it contains no physical particles. However, the quantum vacuum is not a simple empty space, but instead contains fleeting electromagnetic waves and particles that pop into and out of the quantum field.
> The QED vacuum of quantum electrodynamics (or QED) was the first vacuum of quantum field theory to be developed. QED originated in t...