Polariton-polariton Interactions Research Articles

Targeted Polariton Flow Through Tailored Photonic Defects.

In non-Hermitian open quantum systems, such as polariton condensates, the local tailoring of gains and losses opens up an interesting possibility to realize functional optical elements. Here, we demonstrate that deliberately introducing losses via a photonic defect, realized by reducing the quality factor of a DBR mirror locally within an ultrahigh-quality microcavity, may be utilized to create directed polariton currents towards the defect. We discuss the role of polariton-polariton interactions in the process and how to tailor the effective decay time of a polariton condensate by coupling it to the defect. Our results highlight the far-reaching potential of non-Hermitian physics in polaritonics.

Polariton-polariton interaction induced by the hopping effect between two monolayers

Investigating the quantum many-body interaction in microcavity semiconductor systems is a significant objective in current research. Hence, in this study, Green’s function was employed to investigate the hopping effect between two monolayers denoted as L and R. The interaction between excitons in L monolayer and R monolayer, characterized by spin-like properties, leads to the generation of Josephson currents and emergence of two quasiparticle branches, known as LP+ and LP− polaritons (i.e., two low polariton states). And compared with other papers, such as reference 5, the research shows that presence of hopping interaction and many-body interaction between monolayers causes significant enhancement phenomenon of residue Z, which will further reduce the effective mass. This is more conducive to Bose–Einstein condensates (BEC). Furthermore, we investigated the Parity-Time symmetry (PT symmetry) of the system. The PT broken phase transition point will appear when the condition of PT symmetry is satisfied.

Mode-locked waveguide polariton laser

So far, exciton-polariton (polariton) lasers were mostly single-mode lasers based on microcavities. Despite the large repulsive polariton-polariton interaction, a pulsed mode-locked polariton laser was never, to our knowledge, reported. Here, we use a 60-µm-long GaN-based waveguide surrounded by distributed Bragg reflectors forming a multi-mode horizontal cavity. We demonstrate experimentally and theoretically a polariton mode-locked micro-laser operating in the blue-UV, at room temperature, with a 300 GHz repetition rate and 100-fs-long pulses. The mode-locking is demonstrated by the compensation (linearization) of the mode dispersion by the self-phase modulation induced by the polariton-polariton interaction. It is also supported by the observation in experiment and theory of the typical envelope frequency profile of a bright soliton.

Quasi-equilibrium polariton condensates in the non-linear regime and beyond

We investigate the many-body behavior of polaritons formed from electron-hole pairs strongly coupled to photons in a two-dimensional semiconductor microcavity. We use a microscopic mean-field BCS theory that describes polariton condensation in quasi-equilibrium across the full range of excitation densities. In the limit of vanishing density, we show that our theory recovers the exact single-particle properties of polaritons, while at low densities it captures non-linear polariton-polariton interactions within the Born approximation. For the case of highly screened contact interactions between charge carriers, we obtain analytic expressions for the equation of state of the many-body system. This allows us to show that there is a photon resonance at a chemical potential higher than the photon cavity energy, where the electron-hole pair correlations in the polariton condensate become universal and independent of the details of the carrier interactions. Comparing the effect of different ranged interactions between charge carriers, we find that the Rytova-Keldysh potential (relevant to transition metal dichalcogenides) offers the best prospect of reaching the BCS regime, where pairs strongly overlap and the minimum pairing gap occurs at finite momentum. Finally, going beyond thermal equilibrium, we argue that there are generically two polariton branches in the driven-dissipative system and we discuss the possibility of a density-driven exceptional point within our model.

Polariton vortex Chern insulator [Invited

We propose a vortex Chern insulator, motivated by recent experimental demonstrations on programmable arrangements of cavity polariton vortices by [S. Alyatkin et al., arXiv, ArXiv:2207.01850 (2022)10.48550/arXiv.2207.01850 ] and [J. Wang et al, Natl. Sci. Rev. 10, Nwac096 (2022)10.1093/nsr/nwac096]. In the absence of any external fields, time-reversal symmetry is spontaneously broken through polariton condensation into structured arrangements of localized co-rotating vortices. We characterize the response of the rotating condensate lattice by calculating the spectrum of Bogoliubov elementary excitations and observe the crossing of edge-states, of opposite vorticity, connecting bands with opposite Chern numbers. The emergent topologically nontrivial energy gap stems from inherent vortex anisotropic polariton-polariton interactions and does not require any spin-orbit coupling, external magnetic fields, or elliptically polarized pump fields.

Reanalysis of experimental determinations of polariton-polariton interactions in microcavities

Inside solids, photons can become strongly interacting, which allows the possibility of optical transistors, in a which one light beam controls the transmission of another light beam. The strength of this interaction can be greatly increased in specially designed structures in which the photon frequency is near an electronic resonance known as an exciton. The exact value of this interaction strength has been much debated, ranging over orders of magnitude. This paper reviews a set of experiments and argues for a number well below some earlier estimates, but still large compared to the predictions of standard theory calculations.

Interacting Exciton-Polaritons in Cylindric Micropillars

We present a quantitative microscopic analysis of the formation of exciton-polaritons, the composite particles possessing light and material components, polariton-polariton interactions, and resonant pumping dynamics in cylindrical semiconductor micropillars. We obtain that, due to the exciton-exciton interaction, the polaritonic states' populations become redistributed among pumped and pristine states. We discuss how the redistribution effect can be used in devices generating photons with nonzero orbital angular momenta.

Spin polarization of exciton-polariton condensate in a photonic synthetic effective magnetic field

The authors investigate here the spin polarization of localized exciton-polariton condensates in CdTe-based microcavities doped with magnetic ions. They demonstrate that an effective magnetic field originating from the photonic potential landscape leads to the formation of elliptically polarized condensate. The degree of spin polarization of the condensate depends on the excitation power and polarization of the laser. Based on the magnetic field behavior of the condensate in the presence of magnetic ions, they estimate the polariton-polariton interaction strength in a CdTe system.

Emulating quantum photon-photon interactions in waveguides by double-wire media

Arrays of atoms coupled to photons propagating in a waveguide are now actively studied due to their prospects for generation and detection of quantum light. Quantum simulators based on waveguides with long-range couplings were also predicted to manifest unusual many-body quantum states. However, quantum tomography for large arrays with N ≳ 20 atoms remains elusive since it requires independent access to every atom. Here, we present a novel concept for analog emulation of such systems by unveiling an analogy between the setup of waveguide quantum electrodynamics and the classical problem of an electromagnetic wave propagating in a wire metamaterial. Experimentally measuring near electromagnetic fields, we emulate the two-particle localization arising from polariton-polariton interactions in the quantum problem. Our results demonstrate the potential of wire metamaterials to visualize quantum light-matter coupling in a table-top experiment and may be applied to emulate other exotic quantum effects, such as quantum chaos, and self-induced topological states.

Non-Hermitian topological exciton-polariton corner modes

We theoretically study two-dimensional exciton-polariton lattices and predict that non-Hermitian topological corner modes can be formed under non-resonant pumping. As a generalization of the non-Hermitian skin effect, all eigenstates are localized at the two corners in our model. This is also a higher dimensional topology compared to other proposals in exciton-polariton systems and we find that it allows propagating signals in the bulk of the system to travel around defects, which is not possible in one-dimensional topological lattices or two-dimensional lattices with Hermitian edge states. Furthermore, as all polariton states are localized away from an excitation spot, the system offers an opportunity for more accurate measurement of the polariton-polariton interaction strength as the pump-induced exciton-reservoir is spatially separated from all polariton states.

Domain-Wall Topology Induced by Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking in Polariton Graphene.

We present a numerical study of exciton-polariton (polariton) condensation in a staggered polariton graphene showing a gapped s band. The condensation occurs at the kinetically favorable negative mass extrema (K and K^{'} valleys) of the valence band. Considering attractive polariton-polariton interaction allows us to generate a spatially extended condensate. The symmetry breaking occurring during the condensate buildup leads to the formation of valley-polarized domains. This process can either be spontaneous, following the Kibble-Zurek scenario, or triggered, leading to a controlled spatial distribution of valley-polarized domains. The selection of a single valley breaks time-reversal symmetry, and the walls separating domains exhibit a reconfigurable topologically protected chiral current. This current emerges as a result of the interplay between the nontrivial valley topology and the condensation-induced symmetry breaking.

Relaxation Oscillations of an Exciton-Polariton Condensate Driven by Parametric Scattering.

We report the observation of coherent oscillations in the relaxation dynamics of an exciton-polariton condensate that were driven by parametric scattering processes. As a result of the interbranch scattering scheme and the nonlinear polariton-polariton interactions, such parametric scatterings exhibit a high scattering efficiency that leads to the fast depletion of the polariton condensate and the periodic shut-off of the bosonic stimulation processes, eventually causing relaxation oscillations. Employing polariton-reservoir interactions, the oscillation dynamics in the time domain can be projected onto the energy space. In theory, our simulations using the open-dissipative Gross-Pitaevskii equation are in excellent agreement with experimental observations. Surprisingly, the oscillation patterns, including many excitation pulses, are clearly visible in our time-integrated images, implying the high stability of the relaxation oscillations driven by polariton parametric scatterings.

Dissipative Phase Transition with Driving-Controlled Spatial Dimension and Diffusive Boundary Conditions.

We investigate theoretically and experimentally a first-order dissipative phase transition, with diffusive boundary conditions and the ability to tune the spatial dimension of the system. The considered physical system is a planar semiconductor microcavity in the strong light-matter coupling regime, where polariton excitations are injected by a quasiresonant optical driving field. The spatial dimension of the system from 1D to 2D is tuned by designing the intensity profile of the driving field. We investigate the emergence of criticality by increasing the spatial size of the driven region. The system is nonlinear due to polariton-polariton interactions and the boundary conditions are diffusive because the polaritons can freely diffuse out of the driven region. We show that no phase transition occurs using a 1D driving geometry, while for a 2D geometry we do observe both in theory and experiments the emergence of a first-order phase transition. The demonstrated technique allows all-optical and insitu control of the system geometry, providing a versatile platform for exploring the many-body physics of photons.

Bogoliubov theory of the laser linewidth and application to polariton condensates

For a generic semi-classical laser dynamics in the complex Ginzburg-Landau form, we develop a Bogoliubov approach for the computation of the laser emission linewidth. Our method provides a unifying perspective of the treatments by Henry and Petermann: both broadening mechanisms are ascribed to the non-orthogonality of the Bogoliubov modes, which live in a space with doubled degrees of freedom. As an example of application, the method allows to study the interplay of driven-dissipation, interactions and spatial inhomogeneity typical of polariton condensates. The traditional theory of the Henry and Petermann factors is found to fail dramatically in the presence of sizable polariton-polariton interactions. In particular, also in a strong confining potential, the intrinsically multi-mode nature of the density fluctuations has to be considered in order to describe quantitatively phase diffusion {\em \`a la} Henry.

Integrated quantum polariton interferometry

Exciton-polaritons are hybrid radiation-matter elementary excitations that, thanks to their strong nonlinearities, enable a plethora of physical phenomena ranging from room temperature condensation to superfluidity. While polaritons are usually exploited in a high-density regime, evidence for quantum correlations at the level of few excitations has been recently reported, thus suggesting the possibility of using these systems for quantum information purposes. Here we show that integrated circuits of propagating single polaritons can be arranged to build deterministic quantum logic gates in which the two-particle interaction energy plays a crucial role. Besides showing their prospective potential for photonic quantum computation, we also show that these systems can be exploited for metrology purposes, as for instance to precisely measure the magnitude of the polariton-polariton interaction at the two-body level. Our results will motivate the development of practical quantum polaritonic devices in prospective quantum technologies.

Self-Trapping Phenomenon in an Exciton-Polariton System When the Lower Polariton Branch is Pumped by Two Laser Pulses with Close Frequencies

The dynamics of exciton-polariton states in a semiconductor microcavity is studied under pumping of the state corresponding to the lower polariton branch, taking into account single-mode and intermode elastic polariton-polariton interactions. In this case, pumping is carried out by two laser pulses with close frequencies. It is shown that at the initial phase difference equal to theta0=π/2, the regime of quantum self-trapping of exciton-polaritons is observed. Periodic and aperiodic modes of evolution of a system of quasiparticles are obtained. Keywords: exciton-polariton states, quantum self-trapping, periodic and apeiodic regimes.

Явление самозахвата в системе экситон-поляритонов при накачке нижней поляритонной ветви двумя лазерными импульсами с близкими частотами

The dynamics of exciton-polariton states in a semiconductor microcavity is studied under pumping of the state corresponding to the lower polariton branch, taking into account single-mode and intermode elastic polariton-polariton interactions. In this case, pumping is carried out by two laser pulses with close frequencies. It is shown that at the initial phase difference equal to θ_0=π⁄2, the regime of quantum self-trapping of exciton-polaritons is observed. Periodic and aperiodic modes of evolution of a system of quasiparticles are obtained.

Non-Hermitian spectrum and multistability in exciton-polariton condensates

We investigate non-Hermitian spectrum and multistability of exciton-polariton condensates excited by a nonresonant pump. An increase in pumping power moves the system away from non-Hermitian spectrum degeneracy toward bifurcation through an exceptional point, which induces a transition from monostability to multistability. The spectrum can be used as a universal method for detecting this transition. In the region of multistability, the system contains one steady and two metastable states. The analyses of stability show that metastable states maintain a finite lifetime and eventually evolve into steady states, which are induced by non-Hermitian skin effects. We also discover a steady state with multipeak soliton for attractive polariton-polariton interaction, which is different from general single-peak soliton for repulsive interaction. Our results open up exciting possibilities for controlling non-Hermitian quantum multistable states, which may be useful for designing polariton-based devices exploiting optical multistability.

Microscopic calculation of polariton scattering in semiconductor microcavities

Recent experiments in exciton-polariton systems have provided high-precision measurements of the value of the polariton-polariton interaction constant, which is a key parameter that governs the nonlinear dynamics of polariton condensates and potentially enables quantum correlated polaritons. Yet, until now, this parameter has only been addressed theoretically using perturbative treatments or approximations that do not include the composite nature of the excitons. Here, we use a recently developed microscopic description of polaritons involving electrons, holes, and photons, where the interactions between charged particles are assumed to be highly screened. Within this model, we perform an exact four-body calculation of the spin-polarized polariton-polariton and polariton-exciton interaction constants. In the limit of weak light-matter coupling relevant to an atomically thin semiconductor in a microcavity, we obtain excellent agreement with a recently proposed universal form of low-energy polariton-polariton scattering [O. Bleu et al., Phys. Rev. Res. 2, 043185 (2020)]. At stronger light-matter coupling, of relevance to multilayer microcavities, we observe that the interaction constant increases towards that predicted by the Born approximation. We show that in all regimes of interest the interaction constant can be accurately obtained from the exciton-exciton scattering phase shift at negative collision energy, and we argue that this has important implications for interactions in other systems featuring strong light-matter coupling.

All-optical switching based on interacting exciton polaritons in self-assembled perovskite microwires.

Ultrafast all-optical switches and integrated circuits call for giant optical nonlinearity to minimize energy consumption and footprint. Exciton polaritons underpin intrinsic strong nonlinear interactions and high-speed propagation in solids, thus affording an intriguing platform for all-optical devices. However, semiconductors sustaining stable exciton polaritons at room temperature usually exhibit restricted nonlinearity and/or propagation properties. Delocalized and strongly interacting Wannier-Mott excitons in metal halide perovskites highlight their advantages in integrated nonlinear optical devices. Here, we report all-optical switching by using propagating and strongly interacting exciton-polariton fluids in self-assembled CsPbBr3 microwires. Strong polariton-polariton interactions and extended polariton fluids with a propagation length of around 25 μm have been reached. All-optical switching on/off of polariton propagation can be realized in picosecond time scale by locally blue-shifting the dispersion with interacting polaritons. The all-optical switching, together with the scalable self-assembly method, highlights promising applications of solution-processed perovskites toward integrated photonics operating in strong coupling regime.