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arXiv · 2608.15607

Position-dependent thermalization of two-level probes in de Sitter spacetime: Interplay between Gibbons-Hawking and Unruh effects

Yao Jin
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Abstract

We investigate the thermalization process of two-level probes in de Sitter spacetime from a quantum-metrological perspective. For a static probe separated by a finite distance from a freely falling observer, both the intrinsic Gibbons--Hawking temperature and the position-dependent Unruh temperature are encoded in the probe state. The mutual influence between the encoding rate of the Gibbons--Hawking temperature and that of the Unruh temperature is studied. Results show that the thermalization rate is equal to the sum of the encoding rates of the Gibbons--Hawking temperature and that of the Unruh temperature. Interestingly, a nonzero inherent acceleration induced by the separation between the probe and a freely falling observer does not necessarily suppress the encoding of the Gibbons--Hawking temperature. Instead, there exists an optimal inherent acceleration at which the encoding rate of the Gibbons--Hawking temperature is maximized. Furthermore, the required total probe time of estimating the thermal effect with sufficient precision is shown in relation with the thermalization rate. The required total probe time and the corresponding number of probes remain experimentally feasible when the position-dependent inherent acceleration satisfies $\frac{a}{2\pi\omega_0}\rightarrow0.1$.

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Yao Jin. 2026-08-16. Position-dependent thermalization of two-level probes in de Sitter spacetime: Interplay between Gibbons-Hawking and Unruh effects. https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.15607

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