QED-vacuum confinement of inelastic quantum scattering at optical frequencies: A new perspective in Raman spectroscopy

The spontaneous Raman effect in ${\mathrm{C}}_6$ ${\mathrm{H}}_6$ is investigated in the QED-vacuum confinement condition in the Casimir topology of an optical microcavity as a prototype inelastic quantum-scattering process at optical frequencies. The confinement determines a dramatic enhancement (over a factor of ${10}^3$), inhibition, and directional effects on the scattering intensity. Apart from its relevance in atomic and molecular spectroscopy, the work establishes a new perspective in the field of QED scattering involving quantum particles with any energy.