Metaphoric optical computing of fluid dynamics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that nonlinear optical propagation can be used to simulate complex fluid dynamics phenomena, including vortex formation and vortex streets, through theoretical and numerical methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to simulate fluid dynamics using self-defocusing nonlinear optics, bridging optical physics and fluid mechanics.

Findings

Numerical simulation of vortex formation using nonlinear Schrödinger equation

Demonstration of Kármán vortex street in optical system

Evidence that optical systems can model viscous fluid phenomena

Abstract

We present theoretical and numerical evidence to show that self-defocusing nonlinear optical propagation can be used to compute Euler fluid dynamics and possibly Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics. In particular, the formation of twin vortices and the K\'arm\'an vortex street behind an obstacle, two well-known viscous fluid phenomena, is numerically demonstrated using the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation.