Giant vacuum forces via transmission lines

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that vacuum-induced forces between particles can be significantly amplified by using one-dimensional transmission lines, potentially impacting quantum technologies and many-particle systems.

Contribution

It reveals that placing particles near 1D transmission lines greatly enhances vacuum forces compared to free space, a novel approach to controlling quantum interactions.

Findings

Enhanced vacuum forces by orders of magnitude near transmission lines

Long-range interactions mediated by 1D photon propagation

Potential for measurable effects in coplanar waveguide setups

Abstract

Quantum electromagnetic fluctuations induce forces between neutral particles, known as the van der Waals (vdW) and Casimir interactions. These fundamental forces, mediated by virtual photons from the vacuum, play an important role in basic physics and chemistry, and in emerging technologies involving, e.g. micro-electromechanical systems or quantum information processing. Here we show that these interactions can be enhanced by many orders of magnitude upon changing the character of the mediating vacuum-modes. By considering two polarizable particles in the vicinity of any standard electric transmission line, along which photons can propagate in one dimension (1d), we find a much stronger and longer-range interaction than in free-space. This enhancement may have profound implications on many-particle and bulk systems, and impact the quantum technologies mentioned above. The predicted giant vacuum force is estimated to be measurable in a coplanar waveguide line.