Many consequences of quantum properties of gravity, as elucidated by e.g., Hawking’s discovery of thermal evaporation of black holes, lead to particularly intriguing thought experiments that remain currently unresolved en route towards any consistent theory of quantum gravity.
It is an old idea, by Bill Unruh and others, that analogue systems share mathematical and conceptual phenomena similar to relativistic quantum fields in curved spacetime. Analogue systems could, therefore, offer the tantalizing possibility of circumventing the experimental impasse of strong enough gravitational fields in laboratory quantum systems. Similarly, we can use the ideas developed in a high-energy context to understand and conceptualize these low-energy analogue systems.
Recent experimental work on Hawking radiation in BECs has again brought the study of analogue systems into focus. In this Zoom workshop, we will focus on various systems to discuss the current state and challenges in understanding the implications of event horizons and Hawking radiation in analogue systems. These systems range from atomic condensates and superfluids to photonics and topological semimetals.
