Braking on the vacuum: linear and nonlinear quantum friction on a pair of rotating atoms

The apparent time reversibility of a microscopic system is lost when its interaction with the environment is taken into account. In particular, we have specifically studied the impact of the vacuum electromagnetic field on the dissipation of two coupled atomic oscillators moving in a circular path.

The model is based on a classical description of matter alongside quantum vacuum field correlations, directly obtained from the quantum field operators. It enables one to recover the existing results of van der Waals attraction force [1], together with new results concerning friction linear in rotation speed [2], for both zero-point and thermal fluctuations arising from the blackbody spectrum of vacuum. Contrary to previous findings [3], the zero temperature friction term linear in the rotation speed vanishes entirely.

Here, we present results on nonlinear quantum friction and provide a detailed discussion of the nullity of the linear term.

[1] Vaz, M., Buhmann, S. Y. & Bercegol H., Complete range of van der Waals attraction mediated by the quantum vacuum at all temperatures, under review

[2] Vaz, M., Buhmann, S. Y. & Bercegol H., Quantum Friction on a Rotating Pair of Atomic Oscillators at All Temperatures and All Distances, under review

[3] Bercegol, H. & Lehoucq, R., Vacuum friction on a rotating pair of atoms, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 090402 (2015).