Environment-induced uncertainties on moving mirrors in quantum critical theories via holography

Environment effects on a $n$-dimensional mirror from the strongly coupled d-dimensional quantum critical fields with a dynamic exponent $z$ in weakly squeezed states are studied by the holographic approach. The dual description is a $n+1$-dimensional probe brane moving in the $d+1$-dimensional asymptotic Lifshitz geometry with gravitational wave perturbations. Using the holographic influence functional method, we find that the large coupling constant of the fields reduces the position uncertainty of the mirror, but enhances the momentum uncertainty. As such, the product of the position and momentum uncertainties is independent of the coupling constant. The proper choices of the phase of the squeezing parameter might reduce the uncertainties, nevertheless large values of its amplitude always lead to the larger uncertainties due to the fact that more quanta are excited as compared with the corresponding normal vacuum and thermal states. In the squeezed vacuum state, the position and momentum of the mirror gain maximum uncertainties from the field at the dynamic exponent $z=n+2$ when the same squeezed mode is considered. As for the squeezed thermal state, the contributions of thermal fluctuations to the uncertainties decrease as the temperature increases in the case $1n+2$ the contributions increase as the temperature increases. These results are in sharp contrast with those in the environments of the relativistic free field. Some possible observable effects are discussed.Comment: This is the version (v2) published in the Annals of Physic

Time evolution of entanglement entropy of moving mirrors influenced by strongly coupled quantum critical fields

The evolution of the Von Neumann entanglement entropy of a $n$-dimensional mirror influenced by the strongly coupled $d$-dimensional quantum critical fields with a dynamic exponent $z$ is studied by the holographic approach. The dual description is a $n+1$-dimensional probe brane moving in the $d+1$-dimensional asymptotic Lifshitz geometry ended at $r=r_b$, which plays a role as the UV energy cutoff. Using the holographic influence functional method, we find that in the linear response region, by introducing a harmonic trap for the mirror, which serves as a IR energy cutoff, the Von Neumann entropy at late times will saturate by a power-law in time for generic values of $z$ and $n$. The saturated value and the relaxation rate depend on the parameter $\alpha\equiv 1+(n+2)/z$, which is restricted to $1<\alpha <3$ but $\alpha \ne 2$. We find that the saturated values of the entropy are qualitatively different for the theories with $1<\alpha<2$ and $2<\alpha<3$. Additionally, the power law relaxation follows the rate $\propto t^{-2\alpha-1}$. This probe brane approach provides an alternative way to study the time evolution of the entanglement entropy in the linear response region that shows the similar power-law relaxation behavior as in the studies of entanglement entropies based on Ryu-Takayanagi conjecture. We also compare our results with quantum Brownian motion in a bath of relativistic free fields.Comment: The published versio

Subvacuum effects in Quantum Critical Theories from Holographic Approach

Subvacuum phenomena on a massive particle induced by a squeezed vacuum state of strongly coupled critical fields with a dynamical scaling $z$ are studied by employing the holographic approach. The corresponding dual description is the string moving in the 4+1-dimensional Lifshitz geometry. The squeezed vacuum state is constructed from the Bogoliubov transformations of the creation and annihilation operators of the pure vacuum state as a result from the perturbed geometry. Then the influence on particle's velocity dispersion from the squeezed vacuum is studied. With appropriate choices of squeezing parameters, the velocity dispersion is found smaller than the value caused by the normal vacuum fluctuations. This leads to a subvacuum effect. We find that the reduction in the velocity dispersion is suppressed by a large coupling constant of quantum critical fields, but is in principle observable. We then investigate the effect of the squeezed vacuum to the decoherence dynamics of a quantum particle. It is found possible for this decoherence to be below the level from the pure vacuum, rendering another subvacuum phenomenon of recoherence. We make some estimates of the degree of recoherence, and show that, in contrary to the velocity dispersion, the recoherence effect is proportional to the large coupling constant, and can potentially be observed. Finally we make a comparison with the effect on the particle influenced by a relativistic free field with the dynamical scaling $z=1$.Comment: This is the version (v2) published in PR

A Holographic Description of Negative Energy States

Using the AdS/CFT duality, we study the expectation value of stress tensor in $2+1$-dimensional quantum critical theories with a general dynamical scaling $z$, and explore various constrains on negative energy density for strongly coupled field theories. The holographic dual theory is the theory of gravity in 3+1-dimensional Lifshitz backgrounds. We adopt a consistent approach to obtain the boundary stress tensor from bulk construction, which satisfies the trace Ward identity associated with Lifshitz scaling symmetry. In particular, the boundary stress tensor, constructed from the gravitational wave deformed Lifshitz geometry, is found up to second order in gravitational wave perturbations. {The result} is compared to its counterpart in free {scalar} field theory at the same order in an expansion of small squeezing parameters. This allows us to relate the boundary values of gravitational waves to the squeezing parameters of squeezed vacuum states. We find that, in both cases with $z=1$, the stress tensor satisfies the averaged null energy condition, and is consistent with the quantum interest conjecture. Moreover, the negative lower bound on null-contracted stress tensor, which is averaged over time-like trajectories along nearly null directions, is obtained. We find a weaker constraint on the magnitude and duration of negative null energy density in strongly coupled field theory as compared with the constraint in free relativistic field theory. The implications are discussed.Comment: This is the version(v2) published in JHE

Off-equilibrium dynamics of the primordial perturbations in the inflationary universe: the O(N) model

Using the O(N) model as an example, we investigate the self-interaction effects of inflaton on the dynamics of the primordial perturbations. When taking interactions into account, it is essential to employ a self-consistent off-equilibrium formalism to study the evolution of the inflationary background field and its fluctuations with the back-reaction effects. Within the Hartree factorization scheme, we show that the O(N) model has at least two observable remains left behind the off-equilibrium processes: the running spectral index of primordial density perturbations and the correlations between perturbation modes in phase space. We find that the running of the spectral index is fully determined by the rate of the energy transfer from the inflationary background field to its fluctuations via particle creation processes as well as the dynamics of the background field itself. Furthermore, the amplitude of the field fluctuations turns out to be scale-dependent due to the off-equilibrium evolution. As a consequence, the scale-dependence of fluctuations yields a correlation between the phase space modes of energy density perturbations, while the one-point function of the fluctuations in each Hartree mode is still Gaussian. More importantly, the mode-mode correlation of the primordial perturbations depends upon the dynamics of the self-interaction {\it as well as} the initial conditions of the inflation. Hence, we propose that the running spectral index and the correlation between phase-space modes would be two observable fossils to probe the epoch of inflation, even beyond.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Nonequilibrium Damping of Collective Motion of Homogeneous Cold Fermi Condensates with Feshbach Resonances

Collisionless damping of a condensate of cold Fermi atoms, whose scattering is controlled by a Feshbach resonance, is explored throughout the BCS and BEC regimes when small perturbations on its phase and amplitude modes are turned on to drive the system slightly out of equilibrium. Using a one-loop effective action, we first recreate the known result that for a broad resonance the amplitude of the condensate decays as $t^{-1/2}$ at late times in the BCS regime whereas it decays as $t^{-3/2}$ in the BEC regime. We then examine the case of an idealized narrow resonance, and find that this collective mode decays as $t^{-3/2}$ throughout both the BCS and BEC regimes. Although this seems to contradict earlier results that damping is identical for both broad and narrow resonances, the breakdown of the narrow resonance limit restores this universal behaviour. More measureably, the phase perturbation may give a shift on the saturated value to which the collective amplitude mode decays, which vanishes only in the deep BCS regime when the phase and amplitude modes are decoupled.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Derivation of hydrodynamics for the gapless mode in the BEC-BCS crossover from the exact one-loop effective action

We show that many hydrodynamical properties of the BEC/BCS crossover in the presence of a Feshbach resonance at T=0 can be derived easily from the derivative expansion of the (exact) fully renormalized one-loop effective action. In particular, we calculate the velocity of sound throughout the BCS and BEC regimes and derive the generalized superfluid continuity equations for the composite two-fluid system.Comment: Four pages, 1 figure. Whereas v.2 contained additional references, but was otherwise unchanged, this new version contains new material concerning our ability to provide a hydrodynamical description of the BEC/BSC system. This explains the change of title. Our old results are unaffecte

Analogue stochastic gravity phenomena in two-component Bose-Einstein condensates: Sound cone fluctuations

We investigate the properties of the condensates of cold atoms at zero temperature in the tunable binary Bose-Einstein condensate system with a Rabi transition between atomic hyperfine states. We use this system to examine the effect of quantum fluctuations in a tunable quantum gas on phonon propagation. We show that the system can be represented by a coupled two-field model of a gapless phonon and a gapped mode, which are analogous to the Goldstone and Higgs particles in particle physics. We then further trace out the gapped modes to give an effective purely phononic theory using closed-time-path formalism. In particular, we are interested in the sound cone fluctuations due to the variation of the speed-of-sound acoustic metric, induced by quantum fluctuations of the gapped modes. These fluctuations can be interpreted as inducing a stochastic space-time, and thus are regarded as analogue phenomena of light cone fluctuations presumably arising from quantum gravity effects. The effects of fluctuations can be displayed in the variation in the travel time of sound waves. We suggest the relevant experiments to discuss the possibility of experimental observations.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Revised version as published in Physical Review

Geodesic Motion of Neutral Particles around a Kerr-Newman Black Hole

We examine the dynamics of a neutral particle around a Kerr-Newman black hole, and in particular focus on the effects of the charge of the spinning black hole on the motion of the particle. We first consider the innermost stable circular orbits (ISCO) on the equatorial plane. It is found that the presence of the charge of the black hole leads to the effective potential of the particle with stronger repulsive effects as compared with the Kerr black hole. As a result, the radius of ISCO decreases as charge $Q$ of the black hole increases for a fixed value of black hole's angular momentum $a$. We then consider a kick on the particle from its initial orbit out of the equatorial motion. The perturbed motion of the particle will eventually be bounded, or unbounded so that it escapes to spatial infinity. Even more, the particle will likely be captured by the black hole. Thus we analytically and numerically determine the parameter regions of the corresponding motions, in terms of the initial radius of the orbital motion and the strength of the kick. The comparison will be made with the motion of a neutral particle in the Kerr black hole.Comment: Published version; 18 pages, 7 figure

Spontaneous Vortex Production in Driven Condensates with Narrow Feshbach Resonances

We explore the possibility that, at zero temperature, vortices can be created spontaneously in a condensate of cold Fermi atoms, whose scattering is controlled by a narrow Feshbach resonance, by rapid magnetic tuning from the BEC to BCS regime. This could be achievable with current experimental techniques.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure, This updated version reaches the same conclusions as its predecessor, but references and explanations are extende