Theory of hydrodynamic phenomena in optical mesh lattices

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding hydrodynamic phenomena in optical mesh lattices, which are used to simulate fluid-like behavior of light in a novel, spatio-temporally periodic setup.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed theory of superfluid-like behavior in optical mesh lattices, linking experimental observations with analytical and numerical models.

Findings

The theory explains superfluid signatures observed experimentally.

Predicts new effects due to the unique geometry of optical mesh lattices.

Establishes optical mesh lattices as a platform for fluid dynamics studies of light.

Abstract

Signatures of superfluid-like behaviour have recently been observed experimentally in a nonlinear optical mesh lattice, where the arrival time of optical pulses propagating in a pair of coupled optical fiber loops is interpreted as a synthetic spatial dimension. Here, we develop a general theory of the fluid of light in such optical mesh lattices. On the one hand, this theory provides a solid framework for an analytical and numerical interpretation of the experimental observations. On the other hand it anticipates new physical effects stemming from the specific spatio-temporally periodic geometry of our set-up. Our work opens the way towards the full exploitation of optical mesh lattices system as a promising platform for studies of hydrodynamics phenomena in fluids of light in novel configurations.