Metamaterials mimic the black holes: the effects of charge and rotation on the optical properties

TL;DR

This paper explores how specially designed metamaterials can replicate the optical effects of charged and rotating black holes, providing a laboratory analog for studying complex spacetime geometries.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of metamaterials to mimic the optical properties of Kerr and Reissner-Nordström black hole spacetimes, bridging gravity and optics.

Findings

Metamaterials can simulate light propagation in curved spacetime.

Numerical and optical limit calculations show strong resemblance.

The study advances laboratory analogs of black hole physics.

Abstract

Motivated by investigation of black hole properties in the lab, some interesting subjects such as analogue gravity and transformation optics are generated. In this paper, we look for the analogies between the geometry of a gravitating system and the optical medium. In addition, we recognize that appropriate metamaterials can be used to mimic the propagation of light in the curved spacetimes and behave like black holes. The resemblance of metamaterials with Kerr and Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m spacetimes is studied. At last, we compare the full-wave numerical calculation of light with its optical limit of geometry.