Propagating pendulum beams to simulate the quantum-pendulum time evolution
Valeria Rodríguez-Fajardo, Thao P. Nguyen, Enrique J. Galvez
Physical analogies are particularly useful to study not easily accessible systems. This is the case of the quantum pendulum, whose evolution in time is not easily observed. Fortunately, its mathematical description is shared by the Pendulum beams, which can be readily created in optical laboratories. We engineered mode superpositions that upon propagation mimic the time evolution of the quantum pendulum. We stablished experimental conditions in which the analogy is valid and present results for several relevant cases, finding excellent agreement between experiment and theoretical predictions. We expect to explore other superpositions to extend our analogy to pendulums with more complex dynamics.
Complex Light and Optical Forces•Mar 15, 2023•0 citations