Quantum Cherenkov radiation at the motion of a small neutral particle parallel to the surface of a transparent dielectric

Abstract

We study the quantum Vavilov-Cherenkov (QVC) radiation and quantum friction occurring during motion of a small neutral particle parallel to a transparent dielectric plate with the refractive index n. This phenomenon occurs above the threshold velocity vc = c/n. The particle acceleration and rate of heating are determined by the friction force and heating power in the rest reference frame of the particle. We calculate these quantities starting from the expressions for the friction force and the radiative energy transfer in the plate-plate configuration, assuming plate at the rest in the lab frame rarefied. Close to the light velocity there is a big difference between the friction force and the radiation power in the rest frame of a particle and in the lab reference frame. This difference is connected with the change of the rest mass of the particle due to absorption of radiation. Close to the threshold velocity the decrease of the kinetic energy of the particle is determined mainly by radiation power in in the lab frame. However, close to the light velocity it is determined also by the heating power for the particle. We establish the connections between the quantities in the different reference frames. For a nanoparticle the QVC radiation intensity can be comparable to classical one. We discuss the possibility to detect QVC radiation.

Wading through the void: Exploring quantum friction and nonequilibrium fluctuations

“…v ≥ c/n . Such a situation exhibits a strong connection to the Vavilov-Cherenkov effect 133 and has already been studied in various settings 67,77,134,135 . Moreover, the redistribution of energy and the associated relation between nonequilibrium fluctuations and the dissipation in the system suggests that, in this nonequilibrium steady-state, it becomes meaningful to study the (effective) thermalization properties of the atom's intrinsic degrees of freedom.…”

Electromagnetic Viscosity in Complex Structured Environments: From black-body to Quantum Friction

“…At low velocity v < vc [see Eqn. (31)] the viscosity is characterized by its thermal behavior, which for the chosen parameters is dominated by µT . For v > vc the quantum component becomes relevant and the interaction behaves as µQF ∝ v 2 .…”

“…where F the is total electromagnetic drag acting on the atom. Although the viscosity has already been investigated in various contexts [15,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27] -including decoherence [28], thermodynamic considerations [29,30], its connection to Cherenkov [31] and Hawking radiation [32,33] -some interesting and relevant features have been overlooked. In the following, we generalize the earlier findings by incorporating the net transfer of angular momentum from the field to the particle.…”

Динамика Наночастицы, Вращающейся В Ближнем Поле Нагретой Поверхности

“…В последние годы флуктуационно-электромагнитные взаимодействия (ФЭВ) в системах с динамической и тепловой неравновесностью привлекают все более растущий интерес [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Так, наряду с имеющими более длинную историю исследованиями, связанными с силами линейного вакуумного трения в геометрии частица-пластина и пластина-пластина (см.…”

“…Так, наряду с имеющими более длинную историю исследованиями, связанными с силами линейного вакуумного трения в геометрии частица-пластина и пластина-пластина (см. ссылки в [4,9,12]), появились исследования ФЭВ в системах с вращением одного или двух тел (частиц) [1][2][3]7,8,11], а в [5,6,10], в частности, рассматривалось черенковское излучение в условиях квантового трения.…”