Cherenkov friction on a neutral particle moving parallel to a dielectric
- We describe a simple mechanism of quantum friction for a particle moving parallel to a dielectric, based on a fully relativistic framework and the assumption of local equilibrium. The Cherenkov effect explains how the bare ground state becomes globally unstable and how fluctuations of the electromagnetic field and the particle's dipole are converted into pairs of excitations. Modeling the particle as a silver nano-sphere, we investigate the spectrum of the force and its velocity dependence. We find that the damping of the plasmon resonance in the silver particle has a relatively strong impact near the Cherenkov threshold velocity. We also present an expansion of the friction force near the threshold velocity for both damped and undamped particles.
| Author details: | Gregor Pieplow, Carsten HenkelORCiDGND |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/27/21/214001 |
| ISSN: | 0953-8984 |
| ISSN: | 1361-648X |
| Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25965087 |
| Title of parent work (English): | Journal of physics : Condensed matter |
| Publisher: | IOP Publ. Ltd. |
| Place of publishing: | Bristol |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Year of first publication: | 2015 |
| Publication year: | 2015 |
| Release date: | 2017/03/27 |
| Tag: | Cherenkov radiation; fluctuation forces; quantum electrodynamics; quantum friction; transition radiation |
| Volume: | 27 |
| Issue: | 21 |
| Number of pages: | 7 |
| Funding institution: | European Science Foundation [2847]; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [He-2849/4-1] |
| Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
