Canonical quantization of the electromagnetic field interacting with a moving dielectric medium

S. A. R. Horsley

doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023830

Canonical quantization of the electromagnetic field interacting with a moving dielectric medium

S. A. R. Horsley^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The electromagnetic field is canonically quantized in the presence of a linear, dispersive, and dissipative medium that is in uniform motion. Specifically we calculate the change in the normal modes of the coupled matter-field system and find a Hamiltonian that contains negative-energy normal modes. We interpret these modes as the origin of phenomena such as quantum friction and find that a detector initially in its ground state and coupled to the electromagnetic field in the vicinity of, or within, a uniformly moving medium has a nonzero probability of excitation at T = 0 K.

Original language	English
Article number	023830
Number of pages	12
Journal	Physical Review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics
Volume	86
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023830
Publication status	Published - 20 Aug 2012

Keywords

Quantum optics

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023830

EPSRC PostDoctoral Research Fellowship: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
Horsley, S. A. R. (PI)
EPSRC
24/05/10 → 31/08/12
Project: Fellowship

Cite this

@article{55cd192551f046d897f2ba28c48aca6e,

title = "Canonical quantization of the electromagnetic field interacting with a moving dielectric medium",

abstract = "The electromagnetic field is canonically quantized in the presence of a linear, dispersive, and dissipative medium that is in uniform motion. Specifically we calculate the change in the normal modes of the coupled matter-field system and find a Hamiltonian that contains negative-energy normal modes. We interpret these modes as the origin of phenomena such as quantum friction and find that a detector initially in its ground state and coupled to the electromagnetic field in the vicinity of, or within, a uniformly moving medium has a nonzero probability of excitation at T = 0 K.",

keywords = "Quantum optics",

author = "Horsley, {S. A. R.}",

note = "This work was supported by the EPSRC.",

year = "2012",

month = aug,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023830",

language = "English",

volume = "86",

journal = "Physical Review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics",

issn = "1050-2947",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Canonical quantization of the electromagnetic field interacting with a moving dielectric medium

AU - Horsley, S. A. R.

N1 - This work was supported by the EPSRC.

PY - 2012/8/20

Y1 - 2012/8/20

N2 - The electromagnetic field is canonically quantized in the presence of a linear, dispersive, and dissipative medium that is in uniform motion. Specifically we calculate the change in the normal modes of the coupled matter-field system and find a Hamiltonian that contains negative-energy normal modes. We interpret these modes as the origin of phenomena such as quantum friction and find that a detector initially in its ground state and coupled to the electromagnetic field in the vicinity of, or within, a uniformly moving medium has a nonzero probability of excitation at T = 0 K.

AB - The electromagnetic field is canonically quantized in the presence of a linear, dispersive, and dissipative medium that is in uniform motion. Specifically we calculate the change in the normal modes of the coupled matter-field system and find a Hamiltonian that contains negative-energy normal modes. We interpret these modes as the origin of phenomena such as quantum friction and find that a detector initially in its ground state and coupled to the electromagnetic field in the vicinity of, or within, a uniformly moving medium has a nonzero probability of excitation at T = 0 K.

KW - Quantum optics

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023830

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023830

M3 - Article

SN - 1050-2947

VL - 86

JO - Physical Review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics

JF - Physical Review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics

IS - 2

M1 - 023830

ER -

Canonical quantization of the electromagnetic field interacting with a moving dielectric medium

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

EPSRC PostDoctoral Research Fellowship: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Cite this