2021/03/16 by Zhigang Bu, Liangliang Ji, Bu, Zhigang +3
Physics and Astronomy · #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc) #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2103.08872
openalex publication_date 2021/03/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
It is well known that the rotational motion does not induce Unruh effect, because the Minkowski vacuum coincides with the vacuum state defined by the pure rotating observers. However, are there Rindler particles carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), and do they produce observable effect? To answer these questions, we need an accelerated observer having a vortex structure in the transverse dimensions and carrying well-defined OAM. Here we consider the angular momentum characteristics of Unruh effect in the theory of scalar field and electromagnetic field for the first time. We find that the rotation and vortex structure of a uniformly accelerated observer lead to the definite angular momentum correlation between Rindler particles and their counterparts in Minkowski vacuum. When interacting with the Unruh thermal bath, the accelerated vortex observer carrying the OAM of l can absorb and emit Rindler particles with the same OAM, and the particle energy is determined by the angular velocity of the rotation. The absorption rate is not equal to the emission rate in general. Both the absorption and emission processes in the thermal bath are correlated with the emission process of particles with OAM of +l or -1 in Minkowski vacuum. This effect may promote a potential scheme to detect the Unruh effect. The OAM provides a potential approach to filter out the background noise so that the signal particles could be extracted sufficiently.