On slow light as a black hole analogue

Although slow light (electromagnetically induced transparency) would seem an ideal medium in which to institute a “dumb hole” (black hole analogue), it suffers from a number of problems. We show that the high phase velocity in the slow light regime ensures that the system cannot be used as an analogue displaying Hawking radiation. Even though an appropriately designed slow-light setup may simulate classical features of black holes—such as horizon, mode mixing, “Bogoliubov” coefficients, etc.—it does not reproduce the related quantum effects.