Quantum vacuum amplification in time-varying media with arbitrary temporal profiles

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework to analyze quantum vacuum amplification in media with arbitrary time profiles, revealing how modulation sequences influence photon production and guiding experimental design.

Contribution

It introduces a conjugated harmonic oscillator formalism for arbitrary temporal modulations, advancing understanding of quantum effects in time-varying media.

Findings

Nontrivial effects in pulsed modulations on photon production

Swiftest and strongest modulation does not maximize photon output

Insights for designing temporal sequences to enhance quantum phenomena

Abstract

In this work we address quantum vacuum amplification effects in time-varying media with an arbitrary time-modulation profile. To this end, we propose a theoretical formalism based on the concept of conjugated harmonic oscillators, evaluating the impact on the transition time in temporal boundaries, shedding light into the practical requirements to observe quantum effects at them. In addition, we find nontrivial effects in pulsed-modulations, where the swiftest and strongest modulation does not lead to the highest photon production. Thus, our results provide key insights for the design of temporal modulation sequences to enhance quantum phenomena.