Symmetry selective Dynamic Casimir Effect in One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

Real photon pairs can be created in a dynamic cavity with periodically modulated refractive index of the constituent media or oscillating boundaries. This effect is called Dynamic Casimir effect (DCE), which represents one of the most amazing predictions of quantum field theory. Here, we investigate DCE in a dynamic one-dimensional photonic crystal system with both temporal and spatial modulation of the refractive index profile. Such a system can resonantly generate photons at driving frequencies equal to even or odd integer times of that of the fundamental cavity mode governed by the symmetry of the spatial modulation. We further observe interesting spectral and scaling behaviors for photons excited at the band edge. Our discovery introduces a new degree of freedom to enhance the efficiency of DCE.