Motion-induced radiation due to an atom in the presence of a graphene plane

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a graphene plate influences motion-induced electromagnetic radiation and quantum friction experienced by a non-relativistically moving atom, revealing effects dependent on the atom's oscillation direction and a velocity threshold related to graphene's electronic properties.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of how a graphene substrate modifies radiation emission and quantum friction for moving atoms, including the identification of a velocity threshold for friction.

Findings

Plate increases emission probability for perpendicular oscillations near it.

Plate suppresses emission for parallel oscillations.

Quantum friction occurs only above a certain atom velocity related to graphene's Fermi velocity.

Abstract

We study the motion-induced radiation due to the non-relativistic motion of an atom, coupled to the vacuum electromagnetic field by an electric dipole term, in the presence of a static graphene plate. After computing the probability of emission for an accelerated atom in empty space, we evaluate the corrections due to the presence of the plate. We show that the effect of the plate is to increase the probability of emission when the atom is near the plate and oscillates along a direction perpendicular to it. On the contrary, for parallel oscillations, there is a suppression. We also evaluate the quantum friction on an atom moving at constant velocity parallel to the plate. We show that there is a threshold for quantum friction: friction occurs only when the velocity of the atom is larger than the Fermi velocity of the electrons in graphene.