Optical Analogs of Hawking Radiation in the Quantum Regime
Abstract
Hawking radiation (HR) entails light produced at the event horizon of an astrophysical black hole due to quantum mechanical effects. The emergent field referred to as analog gravity is the study of non-astrophysical systems which present an analogous HR effect, particularly in situations which permit laboratory demonstrations, including light pulses in optical fibers. These studies can help us to predict and analyze novel phenomena in the analog theories (e.g. optics) by using the tools developed for the study of gravity (general relativity). The nonlinear optical analog of HR in fibers involves a pump pulse which produces a Kerr effect-mediated change in the index of refraction, which affects other waves through cross-phase modulation. If a probe wave travels at a velocity only slightly higher than that of the pump, the probe can be slowed down to result in a blue shift and effective reflection when viewed in a frame of reference co-propagating with the pump, along with the generation of a second signal in accordance with energy and momentum conservation. While this HR effect in optics has been experimentally observed, its stimulated nature precludes the verification of any quantum properties. A new generation of experiments is thus required in order to explore the expected quantum behavior, which is the main motivation for this project.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502110147
Entities
People
- Alfred U Ren
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- National Autonomous University of Mexico
- United States Air Force