Quantum Talk with Iacopo Carusotto

Title: Superfluids of atoms and of light as quantum simulators of quantum fields in curved space-times

Speaker: Iacopo Carusotto, Pitaevskii BEC Center, INO-CNR and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, Trento, Italy

Abstract:
In this talk, I will present the state of the art and the new perspectives in the theoretical and experimental study of analog models of quantum field theories in flat, curved, or time-dependent backgrounds using condensed matter and optical systems.

I will start with a brief presentation of the general concept of analog model and a review of milestone theoretical and experimental works on Hawking emission of phonons from acoustic horizons in trans-sonic flows of ultracold atoms.

I will then move towards superradiant effects in different geometries. In rotating configurations, the concept of ergoregion instability provides an intuitive understanding of the well-known instability of multiply charged vortices. The subtle relations between superradiant scattering, quantum superradiant emission and superradiant instabilities will be clarified.

I will conclude by outlining the on-going investigations in the direction of observing back-reaction effects of the quantum field onto the background, both in single-mode circuit-QED configurations simulating Dynamical Casimir Effect and in multi-mode cold-atom platforms simulating the so-called preheating stage of the early Universe at the end of inflation. New decoherence processes will be highlighted, also in connection with the outstanding problem of black hole evaporation.