Optical realization of the dissipative quantum oscillator
arXiv:1603.01364 · doi:10.1364/OL.41.001712
Abstract
An optical realization of the damped quantum oscillator, based on transverse light dynamics in an optical resonator with slowly-moving mirrors, is theoretically suggested. The optical resonator setting provides a simple implementation of the time-dependent Caldirola-Kanai Hamiltonian of the dissipative quantum oscillator, and enables to visualize the effects of damped oscillations in the classical (ray optics) limit and wave packet collapse in the quantum (wave optics) regime.
The article is dedicated to Professor Orazio Svelto on the occasion of his 80th birthday. To appear in Optics Letters