Fermionic Light in the Air: When Light Behaves Like Matter
In this letter, we argue that common optical media, such as air or
oxygen, can support the propagation of “bubbles” of light, behaving like
the degenerate electron gas which is responsible for the equilibrium of
a white dwarf star. When a sufficient number of such “Fermionic Light”
bubbles are compressed together by a focusing lens, they merge into a
“Liquid Light” droplet. This transition is analogous to the
gravitational collapse of a massive white dwarf generating a neutron
star. We predict the existence of these solutions for the propagation of
laser pulses of suitable power in air and oxygen, taking into account
the recent measurements of the nonlinear refractive indexes of these
media. Therefore, the experimental production of both the Fermionic and
Liquid states of light, and the transition between them, may be realized
in the near future. Such bubbles and droplets of light might then be
used for a robust implementation of the laser-induced water condensation
that has been recently demonstrated in air.
Figure caption : dynamical phase transition from a grid of "fermionic light" bubbles to an individual "liquid light" soliton.
