Nonequilibrium atom-surface interaction with lossy multilayer structures

Abstract

The impact of lossy multilayer structures on nonequilibrium atom-surface interactions is discussed. Specifically, the focus lies on a fully non-Markovian and nonequilibrium description of quantum friction, the fluctuation-induced drag force acting on an atom moving at constant velocity and height above the multilayer structures. Compared to unstructured bulk material, the drag force for multilayer systems is considerably enhanced and its behavior as a function of both the atom's velocity and distance from the surface exhibits different regimes. These features are linked to the appearance of coupled interface polaritons within the superlattice structures. Our results are not only useful for an experimental investigation of quantum friction but also highlight a way to tailor the interaction by simply modifying the structural composition of the multilayer systems.