Gravitational Redshift and Deflection of Slow Light

Authors

Justin Dressel, Chapman UniversityFollow
S. G. Rajeev, University of Rochester
J. C. Howell, University of Rochester
Andrew N. Jordan, University of Rochester

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-30-2009

Abstract

We explore the nature of the classical propagation of light through media with strong frequency-dependent dispersion in the presence of a gravitational field. In the weak field limit, gravity causes a redshift of the optical frequency, which the slow-light medium converts into a spatially varying index of refraction. This results in the bending of a light ray in the medium. We further propose experimental techniques to amplify and detect the phenomenon using weak value measurements. Independent heuristic and rigorous derivations of this effect are given.

Comments

This article was originally published in Physical Review A, volume 79, in 2009. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.79.013834

Recommended Citation

Dressel, J., Rajeev, S.G., Howell, J.C., Jordan, A.N., 2009. Gravitational redshift and deflection of slow light. Physical Review A 79, 013834. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.79.013834

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

American Physical Society