Related papers: How modes shape Casimir Physics
Recently (arXiv:0910.2870), we have derived a fluctuation theorem for systems in thermodynamic equilibrium compatible with anomalous response functions, e.g. the existence of states with \textit{negative heat capacities} $C<0$. In this…
Systems with an O(n) symmetrical Hamiltonian are considered in a $d$-dimensional slab geometry of macroscopic lateral extension and finite thickness $L$ that undergo a continuous bulk phase transition in the limit $L\to\infty$. The…
Bohmian mechanics is a theory that provides a consistent explanation of quantum phenomena in terms of point particles whose motion is guided by the wave function. In this theory, the state of a system of particles is defined by the actual…
The Casimir effect, reflecting quantum vacuum fluctuations in the electromagnetic field in a region with material boundaries, has been studied both theoretically and experimentally since 1948. The forces between dielectric and metallic…
Recently the Casmir-Polder force felt by an atom near a substrate under nonequilibrium stationary conditions has been studied theoretically with macroscopic quantum electrodyanamics (MQED) and verified experimentally with cold atoms. We…
The Casimir interaction is induced by electromagnetic fluctuations between objects and it is strongly dependent upon the electronic and optical properties of the materials making up the objects. Here we investigate this ubiquitous…
This article reviews recent progress on the geometry dependence of Casimir interactions and presents some applications to nanosystems. The article consists of three parts: (i) Some examples for geometry dependence: structured surfaces,…
We present a formalism for studying the behaviour of quantum systems coupled to nonequilibrium environments exhibiting nonGaussian fluctuations. We discuss the role of a qubit as a detector of the statistics of environmental fluctuations,…
Nuclear quantum effects, such as zero-point energy and tunneling, cause significant changes to the structure and dynamics of hydrogen bonded systems such as liquid water. However, due to the current inability to simulate liquid water using…
Physical systems in real life are inextricably linked to their surroundings and never completely separated from them. Truly closed systems do not exist. The phenomenon of decoherence, which is brought about by the interaction with the…
The Casimir force, which results from the confinement of the quantum mechanical zero-point fluctuations of the electromagnetic fields, has received significant attention in recent years for its effect on micro- and nano-scale mechanical…
The result of a physical measurement depends on the timescale of the experimental probe. In solid-state systems, this simple quantum mechanical principle has far-reaching consequences: the interplay of several degrees of freedom close to…
There have been many claims that quantum mechanics plays a key role in the origin and/or operation of biological organisms, beyond merely providing the basis for the shapes and sizes of biological molecules and their chemical affinities.…
We study the effects of a static and uniform magnetic field on the evolution of energy density fluctuations present in a medium. By numerically solving the relativistic Boltzmann-Vlasov equation within the relaxation time approximation, we…
When two or more objects move relative to one another in vacuum, they experience a drag force which, at zero temperature, usually goes under the name of quantum friction. This contactless non-conservative interaction is mediated by the…
Equilibrium quantum systems are often described by a gas of weakly-interacting normal modes. Bringing such systems far from equilibrium, however, can drastically enhance mode-to-mode interactions. Understanding the resulting liquid is a…
The characteristic function for the joint measurement of the changes of two commuting observables upon an external forcing of a quantum system is derived. In particular, the statistics of the internal energy, the exchanged heat and the work…
Quantum fluctuations of the vacuum are both a surprising and fundamental phenomenon of nature. Understood as virtual photons flitting in and out of existence, they still have a very real impact, \emph{e.g.}, in the Casimir effects and the…
Here we show that the zero point energy associated to the quantum spin fluctuations of a non- collinear spin texture produce Casimir-like magnetic fields. We study the effect of these Casimir fields on the topologically protected…
Vacuum fluctuations play a central role in spontaneous emission. Recently, it has been suggested that these fluctuations could also be fundamental in the absorption dynamics, breaking the superposition inherent to the linear quantum…