Fluctuation-induced Hall-like lateral forces in a chiral-gain environment

Abstract

Here, we demonstrate that vacuum fluctuations can induce lateral forces on a small particle positioned near a translation-invariant uniform non-Hermitian substrate with chiral gain. This type of non-Hermitian response can be engineered by biasing a low-symmetry conductor with a static electric field and is rooted in the quantum geometry of the material through the Berry curvature dipole. The chiral-gain material acts as an active medium for a particular circular polarisation handedness, while serving as a passive, dissipative medium for the other polarisation handedness. Owing to the nonreciprocity and gain characteristics, momentum is continuously exchanged in a preferred direction parallel to the surface between the test particle and the surrounding electromagnetic field, giving rise to lateral forces. Interestingly, the force can be viewed as a fluctuation-induced drag analogous to a Hall force. Indeed, although the gain is driven by an electric current, the resulting force acts perpendicular to the bias -- unlike conventional current-drag effects. This effect stems from the skewed propagation characteristics of surface modes and gain-momentum locking. Our theory reveals a Hall-like asymmetry in the field correlations and establishes a novel link between quantum geometry and fluctuation-induced phenomena, offering new possibilities for nanoscale control via tailored electromagnetic environments.