Dispersive, superfluid-like shock waves in nonlinear optics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates an all-optical platform to study dispersive shock waves, typically observed in superfluids and Bose-Einstein condensates, enabling experimental observation of their dynamics in 1D and 2D.

Contribution

It introduces a novel optical system that models superfluid-like dispersive shock waves, allowing detailed experimental investigation beyond previous limitations.

Findings

Observation of shock wave propagation in 1D and 2D

Interaction of colliding shock waves demonstrated

System provides accessible platform for dispersive phenomena

Abstract

In most classical fluids, shock waves are strongly dissipative, their energy being quickly lost through viscous damping. But in systems such as cold plasmas, superfluids, and Bose-Einstein condensates, where viscosity is negligible or non-existent, a fundamentally different type of shock wave can emerge whose behaviour is dominated by dispersion rather than dissipation. Dispersive shock waves are difficult to study experimentally, and analytical solutions to the equations that govern them have only been found in one dimension (1D). By exploiting a well-known, but little appreciated, correspondence between the behaviour of superfluids and nonlinear optical materials, we demonstrate an all-optical experimental platform for studying the dynamics of dispersive shock waves. This enables us to observe the propagation and nonlinear response of dispersive shock waves, including the interaction of colliding shock waves, in 1D and 2D. Our system offers a versatile and more accessible means for exploring superfluid-like and related dispersive phenomena.