The nonstationary Casimir effect in a cavity with periodical time-dependent conductivity of a semiconductor mirror

Abstract

We consider the problem of photon creation from vacuum or thermal states inside a cavity with periodical time-dependent conductivity of a thin semiconductor boundary layer, simulating periodical displacements of the wall. Our approach is based on the consistent model of a quantum-damped harmonic oscillator with arbitrary time-dependent frequency and damping coefficients in the framework of the Heisenberg–Langevin equations with two noncommuting delta-correlated noise operators. We calculate the rate of photon generation under the resonance conditions, taking into account the internal dissipation inside the semiconductor. This rate depends mainly on two parameters: the total intensity of the laser pulse and the recombination time of photo-excited carriers in the semiconductor slab (for fixed mobility of carriers and geometry). Optimal values of these parameters and dimensions of the cavity are found for the TE and TM modes. The influence of temperature and detuning from strict resonance is analysed.