Dynamical Casimir Effects with Atoms: From the Emission of Photon Pairs to a Quantum Sagnac Phase

Online Physics Seminar by Asst Prof. François Impens​ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) held on 8 April 2022.

Abstract:
The interaction between matter and the quantum electromagnetic field is particularly intriguing when motional effects come into play. Dynamical Casimir Effect (DCE) is usually considered within a macroscopic approach based on boundary conditions [1] for the quantum field. On a more fundamental microscopic level, DCE can be described at the atomic scale with the help of quantum optical Hamiltonian models for the atom-field coupling. An experimental observation of a DCE analog has been reported with superconductors. Nevertheless, a direct measurement of the DCE radiation produced by moving bodies is still out of reach as this radiation is extremely scarce in realistic experimental conditions. An alternative route is to track indirect signatures of DCE-like aspects in atom interferometers produced by the relative motion between the atom and a conducting surface. In this talk, we present a microscopic theory of the dynamical Casimir effect [2], and use this formalism to predict DCE-like effects in atom interferometers [3,4]. Our approach unveils connections between non-trivial aspects of modern physics such as electrodynamic retardation, geometric phases, non-locality and inertia.​

References
[1] A. Vilenkina and L. H. Ford, Phys. Rev. D 25, 2569 (1982).
[2] R. De Melo e Souza, F. Impens, and P. A. Maia Neto Phys. Rev. A 97, 032514 (2018).
[3] F. Impens, C. Ccapa Ttira, R. O. Behunin, and P. A. Maia Neto, Phys. Rev. A89, 022516 (2014).
[4] G. C. Matos, R. de Melo e Souza, P. A. Maia Neto, and F. Impens, Phys. Rev. Lett.127, 270401 (2021) ​