Atoms immersed in a complex electromagnetic environment experience modifications in their resonance frequencies as well as decay rates and are subject to fluctuation-induced forces. At finite temperature, such effects are often estimated on the basis of blackbody radiation fields. However, especially in the vicinity of a surface, we can expect substantial deviations from blackbody radiation, since the spectral properties of thermal and quantum fluctuations interlace with the system’s geometry and material composition.
We explore the nonequilibrium interaction between an atom and the material-modified thermal vacuum. We discuss how blackbody-radiation-induced effects emerge with approximations on the system’s geometry which are usually employed for their description.
References
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