A quantum field theoretical approach, in which a quantum probe is used to investigate the properties generic non-flat FLRW space-times is discussed. The probe is identified with a conformally coupled massless scalar field defined on a space-time with horizon and the procedure to investigate the local properties is realized by the use of Unruh-DeWitt detector and by the evaluation of the regularized quantum fluctuations. In the case of de Sitter space, the coordinate independence of our results is checked, and the Gibbons-Hawking temperature is recovered. A possible generalization to the electromagnetic probe is also briefly indicated.