Hawking radiation is unlikely to be measured from a real black hole, but can be tested in laboratory analogues. It was predicted as a consequence of quantum mechanics and general relativity, but turned out to be more universal. A refractive index perturbation produces an optical analogue of the black-hole horizon and Hawking radiation that is made of light. We discuss the central and recent experiments of the optical analogue, using hands-on physics. We stress the roles of classical fields, negative frequencies, ‘regular optics’ and dispersion. Opportunities and challenges ahead are briefly mentioned. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The next generation of analogue gravity experiments’.

中文翻译：

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黑洞视界的光学类似物

霍金辐射不太可能从真正的黑洞中测量到，但可以在实验室模拟中进行测试。它被预测为量子力学和广义相对论的结果，但结果证明它更具普遍性。折射率扰动产生了黑洞视界和由光构成的霍金辐射的光学模拟。我们使用动手物理讨论了光学模拟的中心和最近的实验。我们强调经典场、负频率、“常规光学”和色散的作用。简要提及了未来的机遇和挑战。本文是讨论会议问题“下一代模拟重力实验”的一部分。