Extensive manipulation of transition rates and substantial population inversion of rotating atoms inside a cavity

Abstract: We investigate the transition rates of a centripetally accelerated atom interacting with electromagnetic vacuum fluctuations inside a high-quality cavity. Our findings reveal that the emission and excitation rates can be extensively manipulated by adjusting the cavity's normal mode frequency and the rotational angular velocity. Using experimentally feasible parameters, we demonstrate that, in one scenario, the excitation rate can reach magnitudes as high as $10^7~{\rm s}^{-1}$, while the emission rate remains negligible, trailing by 9 orders of magnitude. This suggests the potential for substantial population inversion in an ensemble of atoms. In another scenario, both the emission and excitation rates can simultaneously reach magnitudes as high as $10^7~{\rm s}^{-1}$, indicating that millions of transitions per second are expected even for a single atom. These remarkable results not only offer a new method for controlling the radiative properties of atoms but also open avenues for the experimental verification of the circular Unruh effect using cutting-edge quantum technologies.