Advisor(s)
Allan Widom
Contributor(s)
Jeffrey B. Sokoloff, Stephen Reucroft
Date of Award
2009
Date Accepted
4-2009
Degree Grantor
Northeastern University
Degree Level
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department or Academic Unit
College of Arts and Sciences. Department of Physics.
Keywords
Physics, Casimir effect, Condensed matter
Subject Categories
Casimir effect
Disciplines
Physics
Abstract
When fluctuating electromagnetic fields in vacuum couple strongly with matter, under certain conditions, thermodynamic instability can arise. A general theoretical framework which addresses this problem is derived, in this thesis. A deep connection is shown to exist between `scattering phase shifts', `bound states' and `thermodynamic instabilities'. The emergence of such instability in a ferroelectric composed of spin zero particles, interacting strongly with photons via electric dipole interactions, is thoroughly examined. When the field modes are modulated, under certain resonant conditions, theory predicts spontaneous generation of photons from the vacuum. The number of photons as predicted by such theories, diverge exponentially with the modulation. A general theoretical formalism which resolves this instability is provided in the thesis. The proposed experiment to detect dynamic Casimir effect, is modeled within this framework, and the number of photons that would be produced in the experiment is estimated.
Document Type
Dissertation
Rights Holder
Pradeep Ganesh Murugesan
Permanent URL
Recommended Citation
Murugesan, Pradeep Ganesh, "Experimental implications of static and dynamic Casimir effect instabilities." (2009). Physics Dissertations. Paper 2. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d10018499
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