We study the quantized field in a one-dimensional electromagnetic resonant cavity. The cavity contains a linear and lossless dielectric medium with frequency-independent polarizability. The dielectric permittivity is an externally prescribed function of both the space and the time. We also allow one of the cavity’s mirrors to move in a given trajectory. Unlike other previous studies on the same system, we formulate an effective Hamiltonian so that the dynamics of the cavity field can be described in the Schrödinger picture. The effective Hamiltonian is quadratic in structure, therefore two-photon generation from the vacuum state can occur. We also discuss the case of resonant behavior of the system.

• Received 12 July 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.49.433