Probing quantum vacuum geometrical effects with cold atoms

Abstract

The lateral Casimir-Polder force between an atom and a corrugated surface should allow one to study experimentally non trivial geometrical effects in quantum vacuum. Here, we derive the theoretical expression of this force in a scattering approach that accounts for the optical properties of the corrugated surface. We show that large corrections to the ``proximity force approximation'' could be measured using present-day technology with a Bose-Einstein condensate used as a vacuum field sensor.

4 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Measurement of the Temperature Dependence of the Casimir-Polder Force
• The Casimir effect within scattering theory
• Effect of the Casimir-Polder force on the collective oscillations of a trapped Bose-Einstein condensate
• Exact Casimir interaction between eccentric cylinders
• Roughness correction to the Casimir force : Beyond the Proximity Force Approximation

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Lateral Casimir-Polder force with corrugated surfaces
• Trapping cold atoms using surface-grown carbon nanotubes
• Scalar Casimir-Polder forces for uniaxial corrugations
• Casimir energy and geometry : beyond the Proximity Force Approximation