Realizing arbitrary trapping potentials for light via direct laser writing of mirror surface profiles(a)(a)Contribution to the Focus Issue Turbulent Regimes in Bose-Einstein Condensates edited by Alessandra Lanotte, Iacopo Carusotto and Alberto Bramati.

Abstract

The versatility of quantum gas experiments greatly benefits from the ability to apply variable potentials. Here we describe a method which allows the preparation of potential structures for microcavity photons via spatially selective deformation of optical resonator geometries with a heat-induced mirror surface microstructuring technique. We investigate the thermalization of a two-dimensional photon gas in a dye-filled microcavity composed of the custom surface-structured mirrors at wavelength-scale separation. Specifically, we describe measurements of the spatial redistribution of thermal photons in a coupled double-ridge structure, where photons form a Bose-Einstein condensate in a spatially split ground state, as a function of different pumping geometries.