On optical black holes in moving dielectrics

TL;DR

This paper investigates how light behaves in nonlinear moving dielectric media, revealing conditions under which such media can mimic black hole event horizons for electromagnetic waves in laboratory settings.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of optical horizons in moving dielectrics and clarifies the physical conditions needed to create electromagnetic analogues of gravitational black holes.

Findings

Existence of optical horizons in rapidly moving dielectrics

Conditions for laboratory realization of black hole analogues

Clarification of light propagation near these horizons

Abstract

We study the optical paths of the light rays propagating inside a nonlinear moving dielectric media. For the rapidly moving dielectrics we show the existence of a distinguished surface which resembles, as far as the light propagation is concerned, the event horizon of a black hole. Our analysis clarifies the physical conditions under which electromagnetic analogues of the gravitational black holes can eventually be obtained in laboratory.