Atom-Field Interaction: From Vacuum Fluctuations to Quantum Radiation and Quantum Dissipation / Radiation Reaction

TL;DR

This paper explores the fundamental aspects of atom-field interactions, focusing on vacuum fluctuations, quantum radiation, and dissipation, clarifying their interrelations and implications for many-atom systems.

Contribution

It revisits the relation between vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction, clarifies the fluctuation-dissipation relation in different contexts, and introduces correlation-propagation relations for many-atom systems.

Findings

Quantum radiation from an atom results from vacuum fluctuations and quantum dissipation.

In stationary atoms, radiation cancels due to interference effects.

Correlation-propagation relations link atomic correlations to quantum field influence.

Abstract

In this paper we dwell on three issues: 1) revisit the relation between vacuum fluctuations and radiation reaction in atom-field interactions, which began in the 70s and settled in the 90s with its resolution recorded in monographs; 2) the fluctuation-dissipation relation (FDR) of the system, pointing out the differences between that in linear response theory (LRT) assuming ultra-weak coupling between the system and the bath, and the FDR in an equilibrated final state, relaxed from the nonequilibrium evolution of an open quantum system; 3) quantum radiation from an atom interacting with a quantum field: Begin with vacuum fluctuations in the field acting on the internal degrees of freedom (idf) of an atom, adding to its dynamics a stochastic component which engenders quantum radiation whose backreaction causes quantum dissipation in the idf of the atom. For a stationary atom, we show how the absence of radiation results from complex cancellations, at a faraway observation point, of the interference between emitted radiation from the atom and the local fluctuations in the free field. We point out that the entity which enters into the duality relation with vacuum fluctuations is not classical radiation reaction, but quantum dissipation. Finally, regarding Issue 2, for systems with many atoms, the existence of a set of correlation-propagation relations shows how the correlations between the atoms are related to the propagation of their mutual influence manifesting in the quantum field. The CPR is absolutely crucial in keeping the balance of energy flows between the constituents of the system, and between the system and its environment. Without the consideration of this additional relation in tether with the FDR, dynamical self-consistency cannot be sustained. Combination of these two sets of relations capture the physical essence of the interaction between an atom and a quantum field.