747 research outputs found
Experimental Modeling of Cosmological Inflation with Metamaterials
Recently we demonstrated that mapping of monochromatic extraordinary light
distribution in a hyperbolic metamaterial along some spatial direction may
model the flow of time and create an experimental toy model of the big bang.
Here we extend this model to emulate cosmological inflation. This idea is
illustrated in experiments performed with two-dimensional plasmonic hyperbolic
metamaterials. Spatial dispersion which is always present in hyperbolic
metamaterials results in scale-dependent (fractal) structure of the
inflationary "metamaterial spacetime". This feature of our model replicates
hypothesized fractal structure of the real observable universe.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. This version is accepted for publication in
Physics Letters
Modeling of Time with Metamaterials
Metamaterials have been already used to model various exotic "optical
spaces". Here we demonstrate that mapping of monochromatic extraordinary light
distribution in a hyperbolic metamaterial along some spatial direction may
model the "flow of time". This idea is illustrated in experiments performed
with plasmonic hyperbolic metamaterials. Appearance of the "statistical arrow
of time" is examined in an experimental scenario which emulates a Big Bang-like
event.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, this version is accepted for publication in JOSA
Metamaterial model of tachyonic dark energy
Dark energy with negative pressure and positive energy density is believed to
be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe. Quite a few
theoretical models of dark energy are based on tachyonic fields interacting
with itself and normal (bradyonic) matter. Here we propose an experimental
model of tachyonic dark energy based on hyperbolic metamaterials. Wave equation
describing propagation of extraordinary light inside hyperbolic metamaterials
exhibits 2+1 dimensional Lorentz symmetry. The role of time in the
corresponding effective 3D Minkowski spacetime is played by the spatial
coordinate aligned with the optical axis of the metamaterial. Nonlinear optical
Kerr effect bends this spacetime resulting in effective gravitational force
between extraordinary photons. We demonstrate that this model has a
self-interacting tachyonic sector having negative effective pressure and
positive effective energy density. Moreover, a composite multilayer SiC-Si
hyperbolic metamaterial exhibits closely separated tachyonic and bradyonic
sectors in the long wavelength infrared range. This system may be used as a
laboratory model of inflation and late time acceleration of the universe.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. This version is accepted for publication in the
special issue of Galaxies: Beyond Standard Gravity and Cosmolog
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