Signatures of the Unruh effect in condensed-matter systems

• Grant number: 25/07602-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Augusto Turolla Vanzela
• Grantee: Emmanuel Maurício Silveira Pinto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Unruh Effect, a fundamental result of Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime (QFTCS), states that a uniformly accelerating observer in vacuum experiences a thermal bath with temperature proportional to its acceleration. This effect sheds light on the relative nature of particles, and shows that the fundamental entities of the universe are the fields, of which particles are only excitations.However, there is still debate within academia over whether this effect is capable of having observable physical consequences. Several articles have already been published in this regard, and it remains being an active research topic. With this in mind, this project aims to verify the physical nature of the Unruh effect through its effect in accelerated condensed matter systems.