Abstract
A net force on a system of two dissimilar atoms, one of which is excited, is shown to result from their van der Waals interaction. It is accompanied by a net transfer of linear momentum to the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. This momentum results from the asymmetric interference of the virtual photons scattered off each atom along the interatomic direction, which is in itself a manifestation of the optical theorem. Ultimately, the virtual photons' momentum, of equal strength and opposite direction to the momentum gained by the two-atom system while excited, is released through directional spontaneous emission, which allows for an indirect measure, a posteriori, of the total force on the excited system. A quantitative prediction is made in a two-alkali atom system. It is conjectured that a net force and hence a nonzero momentum of quantum fluctuations take place in any asymmetrically excited system.
- Received 26 April 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.94.062701
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