Relativistic Effects of Light in Moving Media with Extremely Low Group Velocity

U. Leonhardt; P. Piwnicki

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.822

Relativistic Effects of Light in Moving Media with Extremely Low Group Velocity

U. Leonhardt and P. Piwnicki

Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 822 – Published 31 January 2000

Abstract

A moving dielectric medium acts as an effective gravitational field on light. One can use media with extremely low group velocities [Lene Vestergaard Hau et al., Nature (London) 397, 594 (1999)] to create dielectric analogs of astronomical effects on Earth. In particular, a vortex flow imprints a long-ranging topological effect on incident light and can behave like an optical black hole.

Received 22 June 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.822

Authors & Affiliations

U. Leonhardt^1,2 and P. Piwnicki¹

¹Physics Department, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Lindstedtsvägen 24, S-10044 Stockholm, Sweden
²School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9SS, Scotland