Vacuum Radiation Pressure Fluctuations on Electrons

TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum vacuum fluctuations of electromagnetic radiation pressure and their potential measurable effects on electrons, highlighting the significance of fluctuations larger than the variance for experimental detection.

Contribution

It analyzes vacuum electromagnetic stress tensor fluctuations averaged over space and time, proposing a method to detect their effects on electrons through radiation pressure.

Findings

Vacuum fluctuations can exert measurable forces on electrons.

Fluctuations may be larger than the variance, enabling detection.

Numerical estimates suggest observable effects.

Abstract

This paper is a continuation of a study of the properties and applications of quantum stress tensor fluctuations. Here we treat the vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic energy-momentum flux operator which as been averaged in space and time. The probability distribution of these fluctuations depends upon the details of this averaging and may allow fluctuations very large compared to the variance. The possibility of detecting their effects on electrons will be considered. The averaging of the flux operator will arise from the interaction of an electron with a wave packet containing real photons, The vacuum radiation pressure fluctuations can exert a force on the electron in any direction, in contrast to the effect of scattering by real photons. Some numerical estimates of the effect will be given.