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Updated: May 9, 2026

Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Blackbody emission from light interacting with an effective moving dispersive medium
M Petev1, N Westerberg, D Moss
1School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, SUPA, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom.
Intense laser pulses can create a blocking horizon for light in nonlinear media. This artificial horizon scatters light with a blackbody spectrum, similar to Hawking radiation.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear optics
- Quantum optics
- Condensed matter physics
Background:
- Intense laser pulses induce nonlinear polarization.
- This can lead to the formation of an effective flowing medium.
- Under specific conditions, a blocking horizon for light can emerge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the interaction of light with laser-induced flowing media.
- To investigate the properties of light scattering from artificial horizons.
- To explore the potential for simulating Hawking radiation.
Main Methods:
- Analytical modeling using a first Born approximation.
- Numerical simulations solving Maxwell's equations.
- Detailed analysis of medium dispersion properties.
Main Results:
- An analytical model shows excellent agreement with numerical simulations.
- A blocking horizon scatters light with a blackbody emission spectrum.
- The stimulated medium exhibits properties analogous to Hawking emission.
Conclusions:
- Artificial dispersive horizons can be created using intense laser pulses.
- Diamond is a promising material for studying Hawking emission analogs.
- This research opens new avenues for exploring fundamental physics in laboratory settings.
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