A collaborative of researchers at Sorbonne University, including Grandjean, have accomplished a major breakthrough in theoretical physics. To this end, they suggested an original approach to realize the Hawking effect simulation via polaritonic fluids. The Hawking effect – more commonly known as Hawking radiation – refers to the black-body type of thermal radiation that black holes radiate. This happens close to their event horizons. This incredible phenomenon puts in serious doubt our theories of black hole physics and quantum field theory (QFT).
She was joined by Postdoctoral Scholar Alberto Bramati, who directs the research team. These calculations were made by Kévin Falque and Maxime J. Jacquet, who led the work of their findings, now published in Physical Review Letters. The goal of the experiment is to recreate the conditions under which the Hawking effect occurs. It brings in an essentially one-dimensional quantum fluid formed of polaritons to effect this simulation. Polaritons are quasiparticles that develop as a result of the intense coupling between photons and excitons in semiconductors.
Understanding the Hawking Effect
The Hawking effect is a cornerstone of black hole research. It occurs at the event horizon, the membrane-like boundary that encircles a black hole. Here, the gravitational force is so intense that not even light can get away. As theoretical predictions explain, this radiation originates from the thermal wiggles that happen around the event horizon.
With good reason, researchers are going deep on this phenomenon. They hope to discover how this entanglement is produced and what it means for the foundations of quantum mechanics and gravitation itself. Sorbonne University’s engineers and scientists are committed to closing the loop between theory and experiment. They offer an open platform that empowers researchers to explore these intricate relationships.
Maxime J. Jacquet elaborated on the significance of their work, stating, “Our work is part of Kévin Falque’s Ph.D. thesis and ongoing efforts in our group to study predictions of QFT with laboratory experiments.”
The Role of Polaritons in Simulating Black Hole Physics
According to the researchers, polaritonic fluids are an ideal platform for producing conditions similar to those found near a black hole’s event horizon. In their experiments, they produced a horizon with the polariton fluid. This exquisite innovation helped them resolve the spectrum of small amplitude excitation fields both at the horizon and beyond.
Kévin Falque highlighted the complexity of their findings: “Notably, we showed that dispersion and the Doppler effect conspire together to create negative energy waves inside the horizon. Their existence is a key ingredient in the recipe for the Hawking effect.”
This novel approach affords adjustment of the horizon geometry with a view to achieving an enhancement of the simulated Hawking effect. The team envisions this new capability and its applications will provide innovative pathways for experimentalists and theorists to explore.
Maxime J. Jacquet emphasized this point: “Second, the ability to fine-tune the horizon geometry is totally new and very interesting both for experimentalists and theorists.”
Future Directions and Goals
As the team moves deeper into their research, they begin to emphasize measurement of entanglement generation. Realizing this via the Hawking effect has become their White Whale. Next, we will explore several variations of the Hawking effect by investigating changes in frequency. It is this research that has a great promise to learn entirely new lessons from quantum field theory.
Alberto Bramati explained the experimental setup: “In the experiment, we generate, manipulate, and measure photons. They pump the cavity to create the fluid, which eventually decays into photons that come out of the cavity that we can measure.”
Given the resolution we’re obtaining in spectral measurements, Lead author Kévin Falque said these results are encouraging for upcoming experiments. “Third, the very high resolution that Kévin obtained in his spectral measurements is very promising in terms of future experiments.”
These simulations are only a part of this fundamental research into black hole environments. It might open up unprecedented discoveries in dark matter and energy, superconductivity and other breakthroughs in physics. Maxime J. Jacquet remarked on the challenges encountered: “First, creating a horizon is no small feat. Only a handful of other experimental systems have demonstrated their ability to date.”
