Unruh effect in a waveguide

Here we demonstrate that photons launched into a specially designed metamaterial waveguide act as massive quasi-particles, which experience strong acceleration. Laser light propagating through such a waveguide may be used as a thermometer which would measure the Unruh temperature. Moreover, the metamaterial waveguide design may be approximated by a tapered optical waveguide. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.