Rotational synchronization of two non-contact nanoparticles

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations influence the rotational synchronization of two non-contact nanoparticles, revealing that near-field effects can induce robust phase locking despite vacuum noise.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum framework for analyzing non-contact nanoparticle rotation and demonstrates the significant role of vacuum fluctuations in synchronization phenomena.

Findings

Near-field electromagnetic fluctuations cause phase locking of nanoparticle rotations.

Vacuum fluctuations act as noise, disrupting synchronization.

Frictional torque in near-field exceeds contact friction, promoting robust synchronization.

Abstract

Proposing a system of two rotatable nanoparticles (NPs) in the presence of electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations, using the framework of canonical quantization, the electromagnetic and matter fields have been quantized. The non-contact frictional torque, affecting the rotation of NPs due to the presence of electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations and also by the matter field fluctuations have been derived. Considering the distance between NPs less than 100 nm in the near-field, we observe the rotations are phase locked. It has been shown that the electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations play the role of noises to break down the synchronization. Also surprisingly, we find the frictional torque between NPs in the near-field is much bigger than the popular contact friction between them where it causes a robust synchronization in the near-field.