Dynamical Casimir-Polder force between an atom and a conducting wall

TL;DR

This paper investigates the time-dependent Casimir-Polder force experienced by a two-level atom near a conducting wall, deriving an analytical expression for the force during the atom's evolution from its initial state.

Contribution

It provides the first analytical expression for the dynamical Casimir-Polder force considering the atom's time evolution near a perfect conductor.

Findings

Force varies with time and distance from the wall.

The results are valid within specific physical limits.

The study enhances understanding of atom-field interactions dynamically.

Abstract

The time-dependent Casimir-Polder force arising during the time evolution of an initially bare two-level atom, interacting with the radiation field and placed near a perfectly conducting wall, is considered. Initially the electromagnetic field is supposed to be in the vacuum state and the atom in its ground state. The analytical expression of the force as a function of time and atom-wall distance, is evaluated from the the time-dependent atom-field interaction energy. Physical features and limits of validity of the results are discussed in detail.