Vacuum-excited surface plasmon polaritons

Abstract

We separate Maxwell's equations for background media that allow for both electric and magnetic time-dependence in a generalized Lorenz gauge. In a process analogous to the dynamical Casimir effect (DCE) we discuss how surface plasmon polaritons (SPP)s can be created out of vacuum, via the time-dependent variation of a dielectric and magnetic insulator at a metal interface for TM and TE branches, respectively. We suggest how to extend currently proposed DCE experiments to set up and detect these excitations. Numerical simulations (without any approximation) indicate that vacuum excited SPPs can be of a similar magnitude to the photon creation rate in such experiments. Potential benefits of detecting vacuum excited SPPs, as opposed to DCE photons, are that parametric enhancement does not require a sealed cavity in the axial direction and the detection apparatus might be able to use simple phase matching techniques. For the case of constant permeability, $\mu$, TM branch SPPs and photons do not suffer from detuning and attenuation like TE photons.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTeX; version 2, reference added, minor changes made; version 3, sections updated, new plots & supplemental notes added (3 pages); version 4, concurs with version published in Physical Review

Fifty Years of the Dynamical Casimir Effect

“…The use of plasmon resonances in metallic nanoparticles surrounded by an amplifying medium, excited by femtosecond lasers, was suggested in [365]. The DCE with polaritons was studied in [366][367][368][369][370], and the DCE with magnons in [371,372]. The DCE for phonons was considered in [373][374][375][376].…”

Perspective on Some Recent and Future Developments in Casimir Interactions

“…The DCE with polaritons was studied in references [114][115][116]. The DCE for phonons was considered in references [117][118][119]. Very exciting applications of the DCE to space flights were discussed in reference [120].…”

Simulating (p)reheating after inflation via the DCE?

“…In the above we assume that the electric permittivity and magnetic permeability are time dependent, but piecewise constant in space: ∇µ = ∇ε = 0. The TM field Φ (not to be confused with the inflaton amplitude) is obtained by swapping ε ↔ µ in the above Lagrangian, e.g., see Naylor [2013] (in what follows we shall set µ = 1). The plasma mass term, m 2 p (t), represents a varying (real) conductivity in the plasma-mirror model as can be seen heuristically by considering the Drude model of a dielectric with a frequency dependent part:…”

“…The separation of variables is not always possible, particularly for time-dependent cases. However, a convenient way to separate Maxwell's equations is to use Hertz vectors; developed by Nisbet [1957] for non-dispersive inhomogeneous media (also see Naylor [2013]). In the case of a plasma-mirror the rigorous separation of Maxwell's equations including a time-dependent conductivity will be left as future work.…”