Shaping the quantum vacuum around atoms and molecules

原子或分子等量子发射体处于基础物理测试、计量学和量子技术的前沿。对小型化的日益增长的需求使原子和分子更接近固态表面，从而导致杂交。固态平台改变了电磁场的真空起伏，不可避免地改变了量子发射器的内部结构，如能级、辐射寿命和对称性。相反，以受控的方式围绕原子和分子构建环境提供了一种独特的方式来塑造电磁波动和调整量子系统的性质。该项目旨在探索原子或分子与真空的相互作用，真空由宏观物体的热激发表面模式定制和着色。它结合了来自德国罗斯托克大学的原子和分子-表面相互作用专家的理论小组和巴黎大学的一个实验小组，他们是蒸汽室中近场原子和分子-表面相互作用的专家。含有原子或分子的热蒸汽室是一种紧凑的平台，它将原子和分子与固态设备接口，用于量子物理实验和量子技术。制备这种新一代量子器件必然需要原子和分子与平面和纳米结构表面相互作用的基础知识。我们将追求以下目标：1)我们将探索里德堡原子与介电表面的相互作用，表现出超出通常的偶极-偶极相互作用近似的多极相互作用；2)我们将利用分子气体纳米细胞内的透射谱来探测分子-表面相互作用；我们将研究分子取向对表面的影响(分子-表面相互作用的各向异性)；3)我们将构建新一代具有纳米结构窗口(平面超材料)的蒸汽池，用于定制原子(分子)-表面相互作用。4)我们将用光谱探测纳米结构细胞中的里德堡原子，结合太赫兹谐振器，并演示里德堡-表面相互作用的调谐。该提议的主要优势来自于理论和实验之间的密切合作。最终，所获得的知识将使我们能够塑造原子和分子周围的量子真空。虽然原子和分子表面相互作用的研究属于基础量子物理领域，但它们可能会对量子技术、物理化学、天体物理学、流体动力学甚至生物学产生影响。

Quantum emitters such as atoms or molecules are at the forefront of fundamental physics tests, metrology and quantum technology. The growing need for miniaturization puts atoms and molecules in close proximity to solid-state surfaces leading to hybridization. Solid-state platforms modify the vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, inevitably changing the quantum emitter's internal structure such as energy levels, radiative lifetimes, and symmetry properties. Conversely, structuring the environment around atoms and molecules in a controlled fashion provides a unique way to shape the electromagnetic fluctuations and tune the properties of quantum systems. The project aims to explore the interaction of an atom or molecule with the vacuum, tailored and colored by thermally excited surface modes of macroscopic bodies. It combines one theory group of experts in atom and molecule-surface interactions, from the University of Rostock in Germany, with an experimental group in the University of Paris 13, specialists in near-field atom and molecule-surface interactions in vapour cells.Thermal vapour cells containing atoms or molecules are compact platforms that interface atoms and molecules with solid-state devices for the purposes of quantum physics experiments and quantum technologies. Fabricating this new generation of quantum devices requires inevitably fundamental knowledge of the interaction of atoms and molecules with planar and nanostructured surfaces.We will pursue the following objectives: 1) We will probe the interaction of Rydberg atoms with dielectric surfaces demonstrating multipole interactions beyond the usual dipole-dipole interaction approximation, 2) We will probe the molecule-surface interaction with transmission spectroscopy inside molecular gas nanocells and we will investigate the effects of molecular orientation with respect to the surface (anisotropy of molecule-surface interactions), 3) We will fabricate a new generation of vapour cells with nanostructured windows (planar metamaterials) for tailoring the atom (molecule)-surface interaction. 4) We will spectroscopically probe Rydberg atoms in nanostructured cells, coupled with terahertz resonators and demonstrate tuning of the Rydberg-surface interaction.The proposal's main strength results from a close collaboration between theory and experiment. Ultimately, the knowledge gained will allow us to shape the quantum vacuum around atoms and molecules. Although the studies of atom and molecule surface interactions lie in the field of fundamental quantum physics they could have implications to quantum technologies, physical chemistry, astrophysics, fluid dynamics, and even biology.