Examples of atoms absorbing photon via Schrödinger equation and vacuum fluctuations

The absorption of photons by atoms encompasses fundamental quantum mechanical aspects, particularly the emergence of randomness to account for the inherent unpredictability in absorption outcomes. We demonstrate that vacuum fluctuations can be the origin of this randomness. An illustrative example of this is the absorption of a single photon by two symmetrically arranged atoms. In the absence of a mechanism to introduce randomness, the Schrödinger equation alone can govern the time evolution of the process initially. Then, it becomes stuck, and an entangled state of the two atoms emerges. This entangled state consists of two components: in one, the first atom is excited by the photon while the second is in the ground state, and in the other, the second atom is excited while the first remains in the ground state. These components form a superposition state characterized by an unbreakable symmetry in the absence of external influences. Consequently, the absorption process remains incomplete. When vacuum fluctuations come into play, they can induce fluctuations in the weights of these components, akin to Brownian motion. Over time, one component diminishes, thereby breaking the entanglement between the two atoms and allowing the photon absorption process to conclude. The remaining component shows which atom completes the photon absorption. Vacuum fluctuations not only introduce randomness but also have the potential to give rise to the Born rule in this context. Furthermore, the Casimir effect, which is closely tied to vacuum fluctuations, presents a promising experimental avenue for validating this mechanism. Similar studies can also be conducted with varying numbers of atoms.