Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect

We have discovered an interaction between two detectors in a vacuum that emerges exclusively due to acceleration, akin to the spontaneous excitation of a single detector as predicted by the Fulling-Davies-Unruh (FDU) effect. However, this interaction contrasts sharply with the FDU effect, which sugg...

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Main Authors: Wenting Zhou, Shijing Cheng, Hongwei Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Physics Letters B
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325000310
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author Wenting Zhou
Shijing Cheng
Hongwei Yu
author_facet Wenting Zhou
Shijing Cheng
Hongwei Yu
author_sort Wenting Zhou
collection DOAJ
description We have discovered an interaction between two detectors in a vacuum that emerges exclusively due to acceleration, akin to the spontaneous excitation of a single detector as predicted by the Fulling-Davies-Unruh (FDU) effect. However, this interaction contrasts sharply with the FDU effect, which suggests that a uniformly accelerated detector behaves as if it were in a thermal bath, as the discovered interaction does not manifest in a thermal environment. The novel interaction displays unique dependencies on the separation between detectors: it can be either attractive or repulsive, with the potential to transition between these behaviors as the inter-detector separation changes. More intriguingly, it exhibits a surprising large-small duality in its dependence on acceleration, suggesting the existence of an optimal acceleration at which the interaction is strongest, in contrast to the monotonic acceleration-dependence of the FDU effect.
format Article
id doaj-art-c20d8f364a7843449d76c08d90eae17c
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issn 0370-2693
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publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Physics Letters B
spelling doaj-art-c20d8f364a7843449d76c08d90eae17c2025-08-20T01:57:40ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26932025-03-0186213927110.1016/j.physletb.2025.139271Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effectWenting Zhou0Shijing Cheng1Hongwei Yu2Institute of Fundamental Physics and Quantum Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China; Department of Physics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, ChinaSchool of Physics and Information Engineering, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan, 030031, ChinaDepartment of Physics, Synergetic Innovation Center for Quantum Effect and Applications and Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081, China; Corresponding author.We have discovered an interaction between two detectors in a vacuum that emerges exclusively due to acceleration, akin to the spontaneous excitation of a single detector as predicted by the Fulling-Davies-Unruh (FDU) effect. However, this interaction contrasts sharply with the FDU effect, which suggests that a uniformly accelerated detector behaves as if it were in a thermal bath, as the discovered interaction does not manifest in a thermal environment. The novel interaction displays unique dependencies on the separation between detectors: it can be either attractive or repulsive, with the potential to transition between these behaviors as the inter-detector separation changes. More intriguingly, it exhibits a surprising large-small duality in its dependence on acceleration, suggesting the existence of an optimal acceleration at which the interaction is strongest, in contrast to the monotonic acceleration-dependence of the FDU effect.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325000310
spellingShingle Wenting Zhou
Shijing Cheng
Hongwei Yu
Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect
Physics Letters B
title Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect
title_full Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect
title_fullStr Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect
title_full_unstemmed Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect
title_short Interaction between Unruh-Dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration: A parallel to the FDU effect
title_sort interaction between unruh dewitt detectors exclusively due to acceleration a parallel to the fdu effect
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269325000310
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AT hongweiyu interactionbetweenunruhdewittdetectorsexclusivelyduetoaccelerationaparalleltothefdueffect