Geometric phase for an accelerated two-level atom and the Unruh effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a uniformly accelerated two-level atom acquires a geometric phase due to its interaction with vacuum electromagnetic fields, proposing atomic interferometry as a method to observe the Unruh effect.

Contribution

It introduces a framework to analyze the geometric phase in an accelerated atom within open quantum systems, linking it to the Unruh effect and suggesting experimental observation.

Findings

Acceleration induces a measurable geometric phase shift.

Atomic interferometry can detect the Unruh effect.

The phase variation is theoretically observable in principle.

Abstract

We study, in the framework of open quantum systems, the geometric phase acquired by a uniformly accelerated two-level atom undergoing nonunitary evolution due to its coupling to a bath of fluctuating vacuum electromagnetic fields in the multipolar scheme. We find that the phase variation due to the acceleration can be in principle observed via atomic interferometry between the accelerated atom and the inertial one, thus providing an evidence of the Unruh effect.