Rotating black hole geometries in a two-dimensional photon superfluid

David Vocke, Calum Maitland, Angus Prain, Kali E. Wilson, Fabio Biancalana, Ewan M. Wright, Francesco Marino, Daniele Faccio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

58 Scopus citations

Abstract

Photon fluids have recently found applications in the simulation of a variety of physical phenomena such as superfluidity, vortex instabilities, and artificial gauge theories. Here we experimentally demonstrate the use of a photon fluid for analog gravity, i.e., the study of the physics of curved spacetime in the laboratory. While most analog gravity experiments are performed in 1 + 1 dimensions (one spatial plus time) and thus can only mimic 1 + 1D spacetime, we present a (room-temperature) photon superfluid where the geometry of a rotating acoustic black hole can be realized in 2 + 1D dimensions by an optical vortex. By measuring the local flow velocity and speed of waves in the photon superfluid, we identify a 2D region surrounded by an ergosphere and a spatially separated horizon.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1099-1103
Number of pages5
JournalOptica
Volume5
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 20 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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