Observation of Accelerating Wave Packets in Curved Space

TL;DR

This paper reports the first experimental observation of shape-preserving accelerating wave packets propagating on spherical surfaces, revealing how space curvature influences their acceleration and focusing behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the first experimental and theoretical demonstration of accelerating beams in curved space, showing their unique evolution due to curvature effects.

Findings

Wave packets propagate on spherical surfaces with nongeodesic self-similar evolution.

Space curvature causes wave packets to focus and defocus periodically.

Wave packets exhibit altered acceleration trajectories due to interference and curvature.

Abstract

We present the first experimental observation of accelerating beams in curved space. More specifically, we demonstrate, experimentally and theoretically, shape-preserving accelerating beams propagating on spherical surfaces: closed-form solutions of the wave equation manifesting nongeodesic self-similar evolution. Unlike accelerating beams in flat space, these wave packets change their acceleration trajectory due to the interplay between interference effects and the space curvature, and they focus and defocus periodically due to the spatial curvature of the medium in which they propagate.