Momentum transfer between quantum vacuum and anisotropic medium

An anisotropic electromagnetic environment that can be created inside a Faraday chiral material may cause breaking of the universal symmetry of vacuum mode structure and hence lead to a nonzero electromagnetic momentum density of the quantum vacuum. A novel quantum vacuum effect (i.e., transfer of linear momentum from an anisotropic quantum-vacuum fluctuation field to a Faraday chiral material) is predicted. This is a macroscopic quantum vacuum mechanical effect that may provide us with new insight into the electromagnetic structures of quantum vacuum fluctuation fields inside anisotropic artificial materials. (author)