Playing relativistic billiards beyond graphene

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to emulate relativistic Dirac oscillators using deformed hexagonal lattice structures, potentially realized as electromagnetic billiards with dielectric resonators, advancing quantum simulation and material modeling.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to simulate relativistic Dirac equations using hexagonal lattice distortions and detailed experimental setup considerations.

Findings

Hexagonal lattice distortions can emulate Dirac oscillators.

A feasible electromagnetic billiard implementation is proposed.

Explicit deformations for 2D Dirac oscillator simulation are provided.

Abstract

The possibility of using hexagonal structures in general and graphene in particular to emulate the Dirac equation is the basis of our considerations. We show that Dirac oscillators with or without restmass can be emulated by distorting a tight binding model on a hexagonal structure. In a quest to make a toy model for such relativistic equations we first show that a hexagonal lattice of attractive potential wells would be a good candidate. First we consider the corresponding one-dimensional model giving rise to a one-dimensional Dirac oscillator, and then construct explicitly the deformations needed in the two-dimensional case. Finally we discuss, how such a model can be implemented as an electromagnetic billiard using arrays of dielectric resonators between two conducting plates that ensure evanescent modes outside the resonators for transversal electric modes, and describe an appropriate experimental setup.