Theory of Quantum Friction

Here, we develop a comprehensive quantum theory for the phenomenon of quantum friction. Based on a theory of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics for unstable systems, we calculate the quantum expectation of the friction force, and link the friction effect to the emergence of system instabilities related to the Cherenkov effect. These instabilities may occur due to the hybridization of particular guided modes supported by the individual moving bodies, and selection rules for the interacting modes are derived. It is proven that the quantum friction effect can take place even when the interacting bodies are lossless and made of nondispersive dielectrics.Comment: published in New Journal Physics, 2014 (in press

Optical meta-atom for localization of light with quantized energy

The capacity to confine light into a small region of space is of paramount importance in many areas of modern science. Here, we suggest a mechanism to store a quantized "bit" of light - with a very precise amount of energy - in an open core-shell plasmonic structure ("meta-atom") with a nonlinear optical response. Notwithstanding the trapped light state is embedded in the radiation continuum, its lifetime is not limited by the radiation loss. Interestingly, it is shown that the interplay between the nonlinear response and volume plasmons enables breaking fundamental reciprocity restrictions, and coupling very efficiently an external light source to the meta-atom. The collision of an incident optical pulse with the meta-atom may be used to release the trapped radiation "bit".Comment: Article in press in Nature Communications (29/09/2015). Attached: Supplementary Movies 1 and 2 (small size version