https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-7959-x
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Probing quantum field theory particle mixing and dark-matter-like effects with Rydberg atoms
1
Dipartimento di Fisica “E.R. Caianiello” Università di Salerno, and INFN-Gruppo Collegato di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy
2
Institut Ruđer Bošković, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
* e-mail: capolupo@sa.infn.it
Received:
6
December
2019
Accepted:
22
April
2020
Published online:
15
May
2020
We analyze the oscillations of Rydberg atoms in the framework of quantum field theory and analyze the analogy with flavor mixing and oscillations. We reveal a non trivial vacuum energy which has the equation of state analogous to that of cold dark matter. This energy is formally similar to that expected for mixed neutrinos and affects the thermal capacity of the gas. Therefore, deflection of the thermal capacity of Rydberg atoms could prove the condensate structure of vacuum for mixing fermions and open new scenarios in the study of the dark components of the universe. We also derive new Rabi oscillation formulae which are, in principle, testable experimentally.
© The Author(s), 2020
