One of the long-standing challenges for physicists in bringing together the principles of quantum mechanics and general relativity is investigating the mysterious phenomena of Hawking radiation released by black holes. However, a breakthrough in the development of artificial black hole analogues provides interesting new information on this mysterious radiation and its implications for the understanding of the cosmos.
A group of physicists started a ground-breaking experiment in 2022 that imitated a black hole’s event horizon by using a chain of atoms. Through studying electron behaviour inside this artificial event horizon, scientists saw particles that emerged from disruptions in quantum fluctuations brought on by the spacetime distortion of the black hole, a phenomenon similar to Hawking radiation.
The newly developed method has important ramifications for reconciling general relativity and quantum physics, two fundamental frameworks that are currently incompatible. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking postulated the possibility of Hawking radiation in 1974, arguing that radiation that resembles thermal radiation is released when quantum fluctuations near a black hole’s event horizon are disturbed.
Given its faintness, direct detection of Hawking radiation is still a difficult task, but studying its properties can be done through the use of simulated black hole analogues. A group at the University of Amsterdam headed by Lotte Mertens unveiled a brand-new experimental system in November 2022 that made use of a one-dimensional chain of atoms. Researchers were able to simulate conditions that were similar to those near the event horizon of a black hole by adjusting the flow of electrons inside this chain.
The theoretically predicted thermal properties of the simulated Hawking radiation provided insight into the fundamental principles controlling its formation. Notably, Hawking radiation generation seems to be largely dependent on the entanglement of particles spanning the event horizon.
Furthermore, the findings imply that Hawking radiation might only display thermal characteristics in particular circumstances, such as changes in spacetime curvature brought on by gravity. It emphasises how tightly spacetime curvature, gravity, and quantum mechanics interact.
The simplicity and versatility of the simulated black hole analogue offer opportunities for investigating fundamental quantum-mechanical phenomena in diverse experimental settings. In order to better comprehend quantum gravity and the dynamics of curved spacetimes, physicists may define the behaviour of Hawking radiation in controlled situations.
The research is published in Physical Review Research.