Analog Hawking radiation from an acoustic black hole in a flowing polariton superfluid

Year: 2012

Authors: Gerace D., Carusotto I.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Pavia, Dipartimento Fis, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; Univ Trento, INO CNR BEC Ctr, I-38123 Povo, Italy; Univ Trento, Dipartimento Fis, I-38123 Povo, Italy.

Abstract: We theoretically study Hawking radiation processes from an analog acoustic black hole in a flowing superfluid of exciton-polaritons in a one-dimensional semiconductor microcavity. Polaritons are coherently injected into the microcavity by a laser pump with a suitably tailored spot profile. An event horizon with a large analog surface gravity is created by inserting a defect in the polariton flow along the cavity plane. Experimentally observable signatures of the analog Hawking radiation are identified in the scattering of phonon wave packets off the horizon, as well as in the spatial correlation pattern of quantum fluctuations of the polariton density. The potential of these tabletop optical systems as analog models of gravitational physics is quantitatively confirmed by numerical calculations using realistic parameters for state-of-the-art devices.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW B

Volume: 86 (14)      Pages from: 144505-1  to: 144505-12

KeyWords: hawking radiation; fludis of light; polaritons; microcavity;
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.86.144505

Citations: 62
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