Graphene’s Nonlinear Electron Flow Creates Analog Spacetime and Acoustic Horizons
Posted By Advanced Carbons Council, Thursday, July 24, 2025
Condensed Matter Analogues of Black Hole Physics Researchers are actively constructing analog black holes and exploring analog Hawking radiation within condensed matter systems. By leveraging materials that emulate the spacetime properties near black holes, they are able to investigate aspects of quantum gravity without requiring direct astrophysical observation. Central to this approach are concepts such as Berry phase and Berry curvature, which define effective gravitational fields for quasi-particles—collective excitations within a material. Materials such as topological insulators and Dirac materials, which feature massless quasi-particles moving at light-like speeds, are especially suited for these analogs. To replicate the spacetime curvature of a black hole, researchers manipulate material properties to control the motion of quasi-particles and generate event horizons—boundaries from which signals cannot escape. Density Functional Theory (DFT) and the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) are employed to model these materials, while numerical simulations are used to predict the behavior of quasi-particles and to calculate the emergence of analog Hawking radiation. Berry curvature plays a critical role in the formation of these effective gravitational fields. The overarching objective is to discover or design materials capable of supporting these effects and to test theoretical predictions related to quantum gravity in experimental conditions.
OK, exploring relativistic effects is something graphene has been used for quite a while. That sounds more plausible, but pushing an experiment to the relativistic limit should not be confused with creating an actual black hole.