66 research outputs found
Dispersive, superfluid-like shock waves in nonlinear optics
In most classical fluids, shock waves are strongly dissipative, their energy
being quickly lost through viscous damping. But in systems such as cold
plasmas, superfluids, and Bose-Einstein condensates, where viscosity is
negligible or non-existent, a fundamentally different type of shock wave can
emerge whose behaviour is dominated by dispersion rather than dissipation.
Dispersive shock waves are difficult to study experimentally, and analytical
solutions to the equations that govern them have only been found in one
dimension (1D). By exploiting a well-known, but little appreciated,
correspondence between the behaviour of superfluids and nonlinear optical
materials, we demonstrate an all-optical experimental platform for studying the
dynamics of dispersive shock waves. This enables us to observe the propagation
and nonlinear response of dispersive shock waves, including the interaction of
colliding shock waves, in 1D and 2D. Our system offers a versatile and more
accessible means for exploring superfluid-like and related dispersive
phenomena.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures Revised abstrac
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