Acoustic Horizons in Polariton Fluids Enable Programmable Spacetime Simulation
Summarize this article with:
The elusive Hawking radiation, predicted to arise near black hole event horizons, remains experimentally unobserved, presenting a significant challenge to our understanding of quantum gravity. Now, Elisabeth Giacobino and Maxime J. Jacquet, both from Sorbonne Université and associated research institutions in Paris, demonstrate a novel approach to simulating these extreme astrophysical phenomena using fluids of light. Their work establishes a programmable platform based on exciton-polariton fluids, allowing researchers to create and study acoustic horizons, analogues of black hole event horizons, and observe the resulting Hawking effect in a laboratory setting. This achievement represents a major step forward in exploring fundamental questions about black hole physics and quantum field theory in curved spacetime, offering a unique opportunity to investigate previously inaccessible regimes and test theoretical predictions.
Polariton Fluids Simulate Curved Spacetime Horizons These lecture notes describe the development of exciton-polariton fluids of light as programmable simulators of quantum fields in tailored curved spacetimes, with emphasis on acoustic horizons and the Hawking effect. This innovative approach establishes a connection between the dynamics of quantum fluids and the propagation of quantum fields in curved spacetime geometries, allowing researchers to investigate phenomena typically associated with black holes within a controlled laboratory environment. The work details the theoretical framework underpinning this analogy, and outlines how polariton fluids, exhibiting both superfluidity and nonlinear interactions, provide a versatile platform for simulating a range of gravitational phenomena.,. Exciton-Polariton Condensates Mimic Analog Gravity This research aims to create an analog model of gravity using exciton-polariton condensates, allowing researchers to study phenomena like Hawking radiation in a laboratory setting. The central goal is to manipulate the flow of the polariton condensate to mimic the effects of gravity, enabling the observation of analog Hawking radiation, investigation of quantum effects, and verification of theoretical models of black hole physics. Researchers create a horizon, a boundary beyond which information cannot escape, by manipulating the flow of the condensate to exceed a certain speed. The experimental setup employs a semiconductor microcavity, optical pumping, and flow control to create and manipulate the polariton condensate. High-resolution imaging and spectroscopy are used to visualize the condensate and characterize the emitted radiation, while homodyne and balanced detection techniques provide sensitive measurements of quantum fluctuations. Specific experimental configurations include rotating flows, leaky resonators, and bathtub flows, each designed to mimic different aspects of curved spacetime. Researchers measure the spectrum of emitted radiation, correlations between different modes of light, and the velocity and density profile of the condensate to characterize the analog Hawking radiation and the properties of the horizon., The research acknowledges several challenges, including generating sufficient quantum noise, preventing dynamical instability in the flow, accounting for reflection of particles at the horizon, and achieving the necessary detection sensitivity. Despite these challenges, the work represents a cutting-edge effort to explore the fundamental physics of gravity and quantum mechanics using a novel analog system. Successful implementation of this approach could provide new insights into the nature of black holes, Hawking radiation, and the quantum structure of spacetime.,.
Polariton Fluids Simulate Curved Spacetime Effects These lecture notes detail the development of a platform using polariton fluids of light to simulate fields in curved spacetime, with a particular focus on acoustic horizons and the Hawking effect. Researchers have demonstrated a controllable system where long-wavelength fluctuations behave as predicted by relativistic field theories, effectively recreating aspects of gravity in a laboratory setting. This achievement relies on mapping the behaviour of these fluids to the mathematics describing fields near horizons, allowing for the study of phenomena like Hawking radiation through a pseudo-unitary scattering process., The team has established a complete workflow, from the initial design of the polariton fluid to the extraction of key quantum properties like amplification, squeezing, and entanglement, using techniques such as phase-imprinted flows and balanced detection. This allows for precise measurements within a specific frequency window, enabling investigation of near-horizon physics, quasinormal modes, and the interplay between rotation and superradiance, culminating in a programme of ‘dumbhole spectroscopy’. The resulting system provides a calibratable and optically addressable platform for testing predictions of quantum fields in curved spacetime with high fidelity., The authors acknowledge limitations in the current resolution of variance imaging and homodyne tomography, noting the need for further generalization to fully resolve gains and entanglement. Future work will focus on improving these measurement techniques to further explore the interplay between rotational superradiance and the Hawking effect, and to refine the capabilities of ‘dumbhole spectroscopy’ for detailed study of dynamics in curved spacetimes. 👉 More information 🗞 Acoustic horizons and the Hawking effect in polariton fluids of light 🧠 ArXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.14194 Tags: