An accelerating photodetector is predicted to see photons in the electromagnetic vacuum. However, the extreme accelerations required have prevented the direct experimental verification of this quantum vacuum effect. In this work, we consider many accelerating photodetectors that are contained within an electromagnetic cavity. We show that the resulting photon production from the cavity vacuum can be collectively enhanced such as to be measurable. The combined cavity-photodetectors system maps onto a parametrically driven Dicke-type model; when the detector number exceeds a certain critical value, the vacuum photon production undergoes a phase transition from a normal phase to an enhanced superradiant-like, inverted lasing phase. Such a model may be realized as a mechanical membrane with a dense concentration of optically active defects undergoing gigahertz flexural motion within a superconducting microwave cavity. We provide estimates suggesting that recent related experimental devices are close to demonstrating this inverted, vacuum photon lasing phase.

一个加速的光电探测器预计会在电磁真空中看到光子。然而，所需的极端加速度阻止了这种量子真空效应的直接实验验证。在这项工作中，我们考虑了包含在电磁腔内的许多加速光电探测器。我们表明，空腔真空产生的光子可以集体增强，例如可测量。组合腔-光电探测器系统映射到参数驱动的 Dicke 型模型上；当探测器数量超过某个临界值时，真空光子的产生会经历从正常相到增强型超辐射状倒置激光相的相变。这种模型可以实现为具有密集光学活性缺陷的机械膜，在超导微波腔内经历千兆赫兹弯曲运动。我们提供的估计表明最近的相关实验设备接近于证明这种倒置的真空光子激光相位。