Dynamical Casimir Effect in Optically Modulated Cavities

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experimental setup to observe the dynamical Casimir effect in optically modulated cavities, predicting significant photon emission and amplification phenomena in the near-infrared range.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental layout for efficient optical modulation and provides an analytical and numerical analysis of the dynamical Casimir emission process.

Findings

Predicts sizeable dynamical Casimir photon emission with realistic parameters.

Demonstrates amplification of a seed beam due to stimulated dynamical Casimir effect.

Foresees the generation of a phase-conjugate beam as a signature of stimulated emission.

Abstract

Cavities with periodically oscillating mirrors have been predicted to excite photon pairs out of the quantum vacuum in a process known as the Dynamical Casimir effect. Here we propose and analyse an experimental layout that can provide an efficient modulation of the effective optical length of a cavity mode in the near-infrared spectral region. An analytical model of the dynamical Casimir emission is developed and compared to the predictions of a direct numerical solution of Maxwell's equations in real time. A sizeable intensity of dynamical Casimir emission is anticipated for realistic operating parameters. In the presence of an external coherent seed beam, we predict amplification of the seed beam and the appearance of an additional phase-conjugate beam as a consequence of stimulated dynamical Casimir processes.