Speaker
Description
Exciton-polariton condensates, formed through strong light-matter coupling in semiconductor microcavities, have emerged as powerful laboratory platforms for exploring analogue gravity and nonlinear hydrodynamic phenomena. We investigate the instability-driven dynamics of topologically charged solitons in driven–dissipative spinor polariton condensates, modelled with a two-component Gross–Pitaevskii framework that incorporates realistic decay and cross-spin interactions. Despite their quantum-photonic origin, exciton-polariton fluids reproduce key features of astrophysical flows, such as soliton breakup mirroring hydrodynamic pathways found in accretion disks and rotating cosmic structures. Using Bogoliubov-de Gennes analysis and the variational approach method, we identify flow regimes where the condensate's velocity approaches the speed of sound, enabling the formation of acoustic black-hole horizon analogues that trap excitations similarly to gravitational event horizons. These analogue horizons offer a controllable setting for probing Hawking-like emission and horizon-crossing dynamics. Other gravitationally inspired effects can be realized by engineering the excitonic reservoir landscape, interactions, and spin-orbit coupling strength. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of exciton-polariton quantum fluids to serve as accessible, high-precision analogues of complex astrophysical and cosmological phenomena, fostering cross-disciplinary links between condensed-matter physics, astrophysics, and emerging quantum technologies.
| Stream | Science or Engineering |
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