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Casimir forces at the threshold of the Cherenkov effect

Maslovski , S. ; Silveirinha, M. G.

Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Vol. 84, Nº 062509, pp. 1 - 7, December, 2011.

ISSN (print): 1050-2947
ISSN (online): 1094-1622

Scimago Journal Ranking: 2,32 (in 2011)

Digital Object Identifier: 10.1103/PhysRevA.84.062509

Abstract
We study the Casimir-Lifshitz forces in a strongly nonreciprocal system: a waveguide filled with a medium moving at a relativistic velocity. In such a waveguide the waves propagate dominantly along a single direction that coincides with the direction of the velocity. Our theory shows that the Casimir forces acting on a piston in such a quasi-one-way waveguide vanish when the velocity approaches the Cherenkov threshold.