Spontaneously generated coherence in a four-level atomic system under induced chirality: Quantum control of the Casimir force

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the coherent control of the Casimir force (CF) in a four-level atomic system under electromagnetically induced chirality. Therefore, we consider two parallel slabs of finite length in a quantum vacuum composed of ensembles of cesium vapor atoms in a four-level double Λ-type atomic configuration. By the use of the quantum interference (QI) effect which arises from the cross-coupling between the different spontaneous emission pathways, we demonstrate that it is possible to fully control the CF in the system via the spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) and the relative phase between the electromagnetic fields. In fact, we first show that the chirality in the atomic system can be induced by the SGC and the probe detuning, satisfying the passivity conditions. Next, we manipulate and control the QI in the system by changing the angle between the dipole moments, as the SGC is sensitive to their relative orientations. Besides, we explore the dependence of the Casimir interaction energy on the relative phase of the control fields. Finally, we observe that the Casimir interaction energy can be switched from negative to positive for a specific given phase value.