Dynamical Casimir effect in superconducting microwave circuits
Journal article, 2010

We theoretically investigate the dynamical Casimir effect (DCE) in electrical circuits based on superconducting microfabricated waveguides with tunable boundary conditions. We propose implementing a rapid modulation of the boundary conditions by tuning the applied magnetic flux through superconducting quantum-interference devices that are embedded in the waveguide circuits. We consider two circuits: (i) An open waveguide circuit that corresponds to a single mirror in free space, and (ii) a resonator coupled to a microfabricated waveguide, which corresponds to a single-sided cavity in free space. We analyze the properties of the DCE in these two setups by calculating the generated photon-flux densities, output-field correlation functions, and the quadrature squeezing spectra. We show that these properties of the output field exhibit signatures unique to the radiation due to the DCE, and could, therefore, be used for distinguishing the DCE from other types of radiation in these circuits. We also discuss the similarities and differences between the DCE, in the resonator setup, and the down-conversion of pump photons in parametric oscillators.

dynamical Casimir effect

superconducting circuits

Author

Robert Johansson

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Applied Quantum Physics

Göran Johansson

Linnaeus Centre on Engineered Quantum Systems - Linneqs

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Applied Quantum Physics

Christopher Wilson

Linnaeus Centre on Engineered Quantum Systems - Linneqs

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Quantum Device Physics

Franco Nori

Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

24699926 (ISSN) 24699934 (eISSN)

Vol. 82 5 052509-

Subject Categories

Other Physics Topics

Condensed Matter Physics

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevA.82.052509

More information

Created

10/6/2017