Abstract
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 fluctuations of the material-modified quantum electrodynamic vacuum and, hence, is purely quantum in nature. Numerous investigations have revealed the richness of the mechanisms at work, thereby stimulating novel theoretical and experimental approaches and identifying challenges and opportunities. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the physics surrounding quantum friction and a perspective on recent developments.
Highlights
The interaction between an atom and a complex electromagnetic environment is one of the oldest1–3 and still one of the most frequently4–7 considered problems in modern physics
From the theoretical perspective, the problem lies at the confluence of different physical disciplines:8,9 It starts with atomic physics and quantum electrodynamics and reaches via statistical physics and open quantum systems all the way to solid state physics
While the premise of this Perspective is that quantum friction is a real physical phenomenon, we believe that the amount of discussions around this topic reveals—next to its lack of triviality—the richness of the underlying physics
Summary
The interaction between an atom and a complex electromagnetic environment is one of the oldest and still one of the most frequently considered problems in modern physics. Both effects are often considered for a motion in absolute vacuum, and typically, focus is laid on the motion-induced thermal-like excitation of the particles’ internal degrees of freedom and on the creation of real and entangled photons from the system’s mechanical energy While for these first two scenarios, (i) and (ii), the breaking of Lorentz invariance can be directly connected to the nonzero acceleration, the situation is different for scenario (iii) since it features the peculiarity of concentrating on the constant velocity, i.e., zero acceleration, and rather emphasizes the importance of the interaction with macroscopic material objects. It is worth noting that many aspects of quantum friction, including its very existence, have been actively debated in the recent past. While the premise of this Perspective is that quantum friction is a real physical phenomenon, we believe that the amount of discussions around this topic reveals—next to its lack of triviality—the richness of the underlying physics
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