Ginzburg effect in a dielectric medium with dispersion and dissipation

TL;DR

This paper explores the Ginzburg effect, a quantum analog of Cherenkov radiation, in dispersive and dissipative dielectric media, showing it occurs at lower velocities due to resonance effects and proposing an experimental test.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive model for quantum fluctuations in dispersive and dissipative media and extends the understanding of the Ginzburg effect to these complex systems.

Findings

Ginzburg effect occurs at lower velocities near medium resonance.

Dissipation significantly influences the quantum fluctuations.

An experimental test for the Ginzburg effect is proposed.

Abstract

As a quantum analog of Cherenkov radiation, an inertial photon detector moving through a medium with constant refractive index $n$ may perceive the electromagnetic quantum fluctuations as real photons if its velocity $v$ exceeds the medium speed of light $c/n$. For dispersive Hopfield type media, we find this Ginzburg effect to extend to much lower $v$ because the phase velocity of light is very small near the medium resonance. In this regime, however, dissipation effects become important. Via an extended Hopfield model, we present a consistent treatment of quantum fluctuations in dispersive and dissipative media and derive the Ginzburg effect in such systems. Finally, we propose an experimental test.