A perspective article by Wenbo Sun, titled "The Quantum Vacuum in Matter," has been published in the journal Optica. The publication contributes to the field of cavity quantum materials, which integrates principles of cavity quantum electrodynamics with condensed matter physics.
The work addresses a conceptual shift from research on cavity-modified vacuum fluctuations—which focused on spontaneous emission in cold atom systems—to the engineering of solid-state material properties. This is achieved by leveraging the coupling between materials and vacuum fluctuation fields within a photonic cavity.
The perspective provides an overview of theoretical models and experimental progress demonstrating the control of various material systems, including those exhibiting quantum Hall effects, charge density waves, and magnetic properties. It further delineates the challenges in understanding the nature of vacuum fluctuations within materials and proposes a path for future research in vacuum material engineering. This approach enables the study of light-matter interactions and the development of next-generation quantum information devices. The publication in Optica affirms the work's intellectual rigor and its importance to the scientific community.
Read the Perspective: https://opg.optica.org/spotlight/summary.cfm?id=574021