  We theoretically investigate the dynamical Casimir effect in a single-mode
cavity endowed with a driven off-resonant mirror. We explore the dynamics of
photon generation as a function of the ratio between the cavity mode and the
mirror's driving frequency. Interestingly, we find that this ratio defines a
threshold---which we referred to as a metal-insulator phase
transition---between an exponential growth and a low photon production. The low
photon production is due to Bloch-like oscillations that produce a strong
localization of the initial vacuum state, thus preventing higher generation of
photons. To break localization of the vacuum state, and enhance the photon
generation, we impose a dephasing mechanism, based on dynamic disorder, into
the driving frequency of the mirror. Additionally, we explore the effects of
finite temperature on the photon production. Concurrently, we propose a
classical analogue of the dynamical Casimir effect in engineered photonic
lattices, where the propagation of classical light emulates the photon
generation from the quantum vacuum of a single-mode tunable cavity.
