Hannover 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 23: Quantum Effects: Light Scattering and Propagation II / QED I
Q 23.1: Gruppenbericht
Mittwoch, 10. März 2010, 10:30–11:00, A 320
Thermal Casimir–Polder forces — •Stefan Yoshi Buhmann1, Simen Ådnøy Ellingsen2, and Stefan Scheel1 — 1Quantum Optics and Laser Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom — 2Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
We discuss the influence of thermal photons on the Casimir–Polder force between atoms and bodies within the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics. The internal evolution of an atom is found to be governed by environment-dependent heating and cooling rates [1]; examples are given for the ground-state heating rates of polar molecules near a room-temperature surface. On this basis, the time-dependent Casimir–Polder force between an atom and a body at finite temperature is studied [2]. It is shown that a thermal non-equilibrium may lead to resonant forces even on ground-state atoms [3]. We discuss the prospect of enhancing these forces via cavities to facilitate atom manipulation [4]. After the atom has reached thermal equilibrium with its environment, the atom is subject to the nonresonant Lifshitz force only.
[1] S. Y. Buhmann et al. Phys. Rev. A 78, 052901 (2008).
[2] S. Y. Buhmann, S. Scheel, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 253201 (2008).
[3] S. Å. Ellingsen et al., Phys. Rev. A 79, 052903 (2009).
[4] S. Å. Ellingsen et al., Phys. Rev. A 80, 022901 (2009).