Thermalization of quantum light induced by classical nonlinear wave dynamics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that classical nonlinear wave dynamics in multimode optical systems can induce thermalization of quantum light states, revealing emergent statistical distributions and enabling exploration of quantum many-body phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach where classical nonlinear optics is used to simulate and study quantum thermalization and many-body dynamics.

Findings

Quantum light states thermalize into classical statistical distributions.

Numerical experiments show emergence of Rayleigh-Jeans and Boltzmann distributions.

Classical nonlinear systems can mimic quantum thermalization processes.

Abstract

Thermalization of isolated quantum systems is an intriguing phenomenon at the forefront of contemporary physics. In this work, we demonstrate that nonlinear multimode optical platforms can be harnessed to induce effective quantum interactions between photons. Through numerical experiments where quantum beams propagate alongside classical light within multimode nonlinear optical systems, we reveal the thermalization of fundamental quantum light states--specifically single- and two-photon states. This thermalization is clearly manifested by the emergence of Rayleigh-Jeans and Boltzmann statistical distributions. Beyond providing a deeper understanding of how classical nonlinearities can be used to investigate quantum many-body dynamics, our findings will enable the exploration of a broader range of complex quantum phenomena, including aspects of quantum phase transitions, within readily accessible classical optical settings.