Magnetically activated rotational vacuum friction

Deng Pan, Hongxing Xu, and F. Javier García de Abajo
Phys. Rev. A 99, 062509 – Published 17 June 2019

Abstract

We predict the existence of a torque acting on an isotropic neutral nanosphere activated by a static magnetic field when the particle temperature differs from the surrounding vacuum. This phenomenon originates in time-reversal symmetry breaking of the particle interaction with the vacuum electromagnetic field. We present a rigorous quantum treatment of photons and particle excitations that leads to a nonzero torque even in a motionless particle. We also find that the dynamical evolution of the particle temperature and rotation frequency follow an exotic dynamics, including spontaneous changes in the rotation direction. Magnetically activated thermal vacuum torques open a unique avenue for the investigation of the effect of time-reversal symmetry breaking in thermal and Casimir physics.

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  • Received 18 December 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.99.062509

©2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Particles & Fields

Authors & Affiliations

Deng Pan1, Hongxing Xu2, and F. Javier García de Abajo1,3,*

  • 1ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
  • 2School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
  • 3ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain

  • *Corresponding author: javier.garciadeabajo@nanophotonics.es

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Issue

Vol. 99, Iss. 6 — June 2019

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