Topological Casimir effect in a quantum LC circuit: real-time dynamics

Abstract

We study novel contributions to the partition function of the Maxwell system defined on a small compact manifold ${\mathbb{M}}$ with nontrivial mappings $\pi_1[U(1)]\cong\mathbb{Z}$. These contributions cannot be described in terms of conventional physical propagating photons with two transverse polarizations, and instead emerge as a result of tunneling transitions between topologically different but physically identical vacuum winding states.\exclude{These new terms give an extra contribution to the Casimir pressure, yet to be measured.} We argue that if the same system is considered in the background of a small external time-dependent E\&M field, then real physical photons will be emitted from the vacuum, similar to the dynamical Casimir effect (DCE) where photons are radiated from the vacuum due to time-dependent boundary conditions. The fundamental technical difficulty for such an analysis is that the radiation of physical photons on mass shell is inherently a real-time Minkowskian phenomenon while the vacuum fluctuations interpolating between topological $|k\rangle$ sectors rest upon a Euclidean instanton formulation. We overcome this obstacle by introducing auxiliary topological fields which allows for a simple analytical continuation between Minkowski and Euclidean descriptions, and develop a quantum mechanical technique to compute these effects. We also propose an experimental realization of such small effects using a microwave cavity with appropriate boundary conditions. Finally, we comment on the possible cosmological implications of this effect.