Band gaps induced by vacuum photons in closed semiconductor cavities

• Main Authors: Kibis, O. V., Arnardottir, K. B., Shelykh, I. A.
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Physics::Atomic physics::Statistical physics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/104258; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/24692
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

We consider theoretically a closed (zero-dimensional) semiconductor microcavity where a confined vacuum photonic mode is coupled to electrons in the valence band of the semiconductor. It is shown that vacuum-induced virtual electron transitions between valence and conduction bands result in renormalization of electron energy spectrum. As a consequence, vacuum-induced band gaps appear within the valence band. Calculated values of the band gaps are of sub-meV scale, which makes this QED effect measurable in state-of-the-art experiments.