Can the Unruh-DeWitt detector extract energy from the vacuum?

TL;DR

This paper clarifies that the Unruh-DeWitt detector can extract significant energy from the vacuum during short accelerations, emphasizing the importance of Minkowski quantization and the role of the uncertainty principle.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the Unruh-DeWitt detector can extract vacuum energy during short accelerations, challenging previous assumptions and highlighting the necessity of Minkowski quantization.

Findings

Energy produced can exceed energy input during short acceleration

Minkowski quantization is essential for correct Unruh effect analysis

Energy extraction explained via time-energy uncertainty relation

Abstract

The Unruh effect can be correctly treated only by using the Minkowski quantization and a model of a "particle" detector, not by using the Rindler quantization. The energy produced by a detector accelerated only for a short time can be much larger than the energy needed to change the velocity of the detector. Although the measuring process lasts an infinite time, the production of the energy can be qualitatively explained by a time-energy uncertainty relation.