General Relativity analogues in nonlinear optical systems
Abstract
This thesis presents the results of the experimental and numerical investigations of
nonlinear optical systems in relation to their analogy with some General Relativity
phenomena.
After a short introduction on the context of this work, the first Chapter starts
with an introduction on the Newton-Schrodinger Equation and its optical analogue,
then the investigations of two main effects (the analogue Newtonian gravitational
interaction of two optical beams, and violent relaxation process in analogue galaxy
formation) are illustrated. For these, the theoretical background is presented, then
experimental setups and results are compared with numerical simulations.
The second Chapter starts with a brief literature review on Penrose superradiance
and its optical analogue. This is followed by the experimental setup and results of the
investigation of the nonlinear optical properties of the medium and the measurement
of the time stability of a vortex beam in the medium, followed by the investigation
of the nonlinear interaction of a pump-probe setup by means of a four-wave mixing
mechanism, giving rise to superradiant scattering. The corresponding experimental
setups and results are illustrated in details, as well as the comparison with numerical
simulations.
A short conclusion summarises the whole work.