A liquid crystal analogue of the cosmic string

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that light propagation in an anisotropic medium with a topological defect can be modeled by an effective geometry analogous to a cosmic string spacetime, linking optics and cosmology.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analogy between liquid crystal defects and cosmic strings, providing a new perspective for studying topological defects in optics.

Findings

Effective geometry mimics cosmic string spacetime

Topological defect influences light propagation

Establishes link between liquid crystals and cosmological models

Abstract

We consider the propagation of light in a anisotropic medium with a topological line defect in the realm of geometrical optics. It is shown that the effective geometry perceived by light propagating in such medium is that of a spacial section of the cosmic string spacetime.