The Dynamical Casimir Effect versus Collective Excitations in Atom Ensemble

The Dynamical Casimir effect and collective excitations in atom ensemble are investigated in a non-stationary cavity. The results show that the dynamical Casimir effect leads to the collective excitations of atom ensemble due to absorption of the created photons. This remarkable feature indicates that the atom ensemble can serve as a detector for the process of photon production in a non-stationary cavity. Therefore by measuring the collective excitations of the atom ensemble, the dynamical Casimir effect can indirectly be verified.