Photon counting by inertial and accelerated detectors

TL;DR

This paper investigates photon counting by inertial and accelerated detectors, revealing correlations in photon absorption events across different spacetime regions and the effects of acceleration on the quantum vacuum state.

Contribution

It introduces a framework using localized Minkowski and Rindler states to analyze photon detection in inertial and accelerated frames, highlighting new correlations and vacuum effects.

Findings

Photon absorption events are correlated across causally disconnected regions.

Accelerated detectors can induce the Minkowski vacuum to contain photons.

Single accelerated detectors can cause the vacuum to collapse into photon-containing states.

Abstract

Bases of exactly localized Minkowski and Rindler states on spacelike hypersurfaces are used to describe inertial and accelerated photon counting devices. It is found that the spacetime coordinates of photons absorbed by a pair of counteraccelerating detectors in causally disconnected Rindler wedges are correlated. If a photon is absorbed by a single accelerated detector the Minkowski vacuum collapses to a state containing at least one photon and that photon can be absorbed by an inertial detector.