Quantum friction in arbitrarily directed motion

KLATT, J.; BUHMANN, S.Y.; DALVIT, D.A.R.; FARÍAS, M. BELÉN

Physical Review A

American Physical Society

Año: 2017 vol. 95

2469-9926

Quantum friction, the electromagnetic fluctuation-induced frictional force decelerating an atom which moves past a macroscopic dielectric body, has so far eluded experimental evidence despite more than three decades of theoretical studies. Inspired by the recent finding that dynamical corrections to such an atom´s internal dynamics are enhanced by one order of magnitude for vertical motion - compared with the paradigmatic setup of parallel motion - we generalize quantum friction calculations to arbitrary angles between the atom´s direction of motion and the surface in front of which it moves. Motivated by the disagreement between quantum friction calculations based on Markovian quantum master equations and time-dependent perturbation theory, we carry out our derivations of the quantum frictional force for arbitrary angles by employing both methods and compare them.