Superradiating atoms: from gravitational wave-induced superradiance to time-resolved Unruh effect

by Dr Navdeep Arya (SU Physics)

Thursday 13 Nov 2025, 13:00 → 15:00 Europe/Stockholm

Albano 3: 5230 - Xenon (12 seats) (Albano Building 3)

Continuing from the previous seminar, I plan to summarize gravitational wave-induced superradiance in atoms. Thereafter, I will discuss how the hallmark characteristics of superradiance can be used to probe subtle observer-dependent quantum field theoretic effects — a prime example being the Unruh effect. It predicts that a uniformly accelerated observer perceives the inertial vacuum of a quantum field to be in a thermal state at a temperature proportional to the observer's acceleration. Connected but distinct ideas also underpin the Hawking radiation and particle creation by an expanding universe that seed the cosmic structure. Thoughts of a lab test of Unruh's prediction are thwarted by the requirement of extremely high accelerations. I will argue that the fundamental challenges facing any potential experimental enterprise to observe the Unruh effect can be addressed using superradiating atoms.

The talk is based on arXiv:2408.12436<https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.12436> and Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 183601 (2025) https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/6z1l-kkmk