Researchers from two laboratories at ULB have realized a synthetic dimension for light using a fiber optic ring. This ingenious system simulates the periodic motion of a particle in a crystal in order to study its behavior in the presence of interactions and dissipation. By creating a soliton, the researchers demonstrated the existence of permanent oscillations, despite the detrimental effects of dissipation. This discovery allows the study and modeling of complex phenomena inspired by solid-state physics, which are difficult to access in their natural environment.
