Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1828762 | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment | 2009 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
In this work we present measurements of the sensitivity of a low noise microwave receiver developed with the aim to detect a feeble quantum electrodynamics effect known as dynamical Casimir effect. We study the performance of the receiver when it is connected to a transmission line ending with an antenna coupled to a resonant microwave cavity. The noise temperature of the receiver is measured with the method of the variable temperature load resistor. The noise generated by the cavity is measured in a similar way. An equivalent input noise of (2.0±0.2)Ã10-22W/Hz is measured at the receiver input. This is equivalent to a sensitivity of approximately 100 photons, well below the expected signal from the quantum vacuum photons.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
Instrumentation
Authors
C. Braggio, G. Bressi, G. Carugno, F. Della Valle, G. Galeazzi, G. Ruoso,