Anomalous vacuum energy and stability of a quantum liquid

TL;DR

This paper reveals that the vacuum energy in quantum liquids varies with the system's state, exhibits anomalous negative heat capacity contributions, and is crucial for understanding the stability of condensed phases.

Contribution

It introduces the concept that vacuum energy in quantum liquids is variable and anomalous, contrasting with traditional static vacuum energy in solids, and links it to phase stability.

Findings

Vacuum energy decreases with temperature in quantum liquids.

Negative vacuum energy contributes negatively to heat capacity.

Overall positive heat capacity ensures phase stability.

Abstract

We show that the vacuum (zero-point) energy of a low-temperature quantum liquid is a variable property which changes with the state of the system, in notable contrast to the static vacuum energy in solids commonly considered. We further show that this energy is inherently anomalous: it decreases with temperature and gives negative contribution to system's heat capacity. This effect operates in an equilibrium and macroscopic system, in marked contrast to small or out-of-equilibrium configurations discussed previously. We find that the negative contribution is over-compensated by the positive term from the excitation of longitudinal fluctuations and demonstrate how the overall positive heat capacity is related to the stability of a condensed phase at the microscopic level.