Claudio ContiObservation of 2D dam break flow and a gaseous phase of solitons in a photon fluid
https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18738
#solitons #opticalsolitons #integrability #quantumfluids #physics
arXiv:2409.18738
We report the observation of a two-dimensional dam break flow of a photon fluid in a nonlinear optical crystal. By precisely shaping the amplitude and phase of the input wave, we investigate the transition from one-dimensional (1D) to two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear dynamics. We observe wave breaking in both transverse spatial dimensions with characteristic timescales determined by the aspect ratio of the input box-shaped field. The interaction of dispersive shock waves propagating in orthogonal directions gives rise to a 2D ensemble of solitons. Depending on the box size, we report the evidence of a dynamic phase characterized by a constant number of solitons, resembling a 1D solitons gas in integrable systems. We measure the statistical features of this gaseous-like phase. Our findings pave the way to the investigation of collective solitonic phenomena in two dimensions, demonstrating that the loss of integrability does not disrupt the dominant phenomenology.
[complexlight.org](https://www.newcomplexlight.org/observation-of-2d-dam-break-flow-and-a-gaseous-phase-of-solitons-in-a-photon-fluid/)
[PhysRevLett.133.183801](https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.183801)
Observation of 2D dam break flow and a gaseous phase of solitons in a photon fluid
We report the observation of a two-dimensional dam break flow of a photon fluid in a nonlinear optical crystal. By precisely shaping the amplitude and phase of the input wave, we investigate the transition from one-dimensional (1D) to two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear dynamics. We observe wave breaking in both transverse spatial dimensions with characteristic timescales determined by the aspect ratio of the input box-shaped field. The interaction of dispersive shock waves propagating in orthogonal directions gives rise to a 2D ensemble of solitons. Depending on the box size, we report the evidence of a dynamic phase characterized by a constant number of solitons, resembling a 1D solitons gas in integrable systems. We measure the statistical features of this gaseous-like phase. Our findings pave the way to the investigation of collective solitonic phenomena in two dimensions, demonstrating that the loss of integrability does not disrupt the dominant phenomenology.
Francisco R. Villatoro
