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We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of a two-dimensional paraxial fluidof light using a near-resonant laser propagating through a hot atomic vapor. Weobserve a double shock-collapse instability: a shock (gradient catastrophe) forthe velocity, as well as an annular (ring-shaped) collapse singularity for thedensity. We find experimental evidence that this instability results from thecombined effect of the nonlocal photon-photon interaction and the linear photonlosses. The theoretical analysis based on the method of characteristics revealsthe main counterintuitive result that dissipation (photon losses) isresponsible for an unexpected enhancement of the collapse instability. Detailedanalytical modeling makes it possible to evaluate the nonlocality range of theinteraction. The nonlocality is controlled by adjusting the atomic vaportemperature and is seen to increase dramatically when the atomic densitybecomes much larger than one atom per cubic wavelength. Interestingly, such alarge range of the nonlocal photon-photon interaction has not been observed inan atomic vapor so far and its microscopic origin is currently unknown.

Dissipation-enhanced collapse singularity of a nonlocal fluid of light in a hot atomic vapor