Long-term quantum coherence constitutes one of the main challenges when engineering quantum devices. However, easily accessible means to quantify complex decoherence mechanisms are not readily available, nor are sufficiently stable systems. We harness novel phase-space methods - expressed through non-Gaussian convolutions of highly singular Glauber-Sudarshan quasiprobabilities - to dynamically monitor quantum coherence in polariton condensates with significantly enhanced coherence times. Via intensity- and time-resolved reconstructions of such phase-space functions from homodyne detection data, we probe the systems's resourcefulness for quantum information processing up to the nanosecond regime. Our experimental findings are confirmed through numerical simulations for which we develop an approach that renders established algorithms compatible with our methodology. In contrast to commonly applied phase-space functions, our distributions can be directly sampled from measured data, including uncertainties, and yield a simple operational measure of quantum coherence via the distribution's variance in phase. Therefore, we present a broadly applicable framework and a platform to explore time-dependent quantum phenomena and resources.
We report multistate optical switching among high-order bouncing-ball modes ("ripples") and whispering-gallerying modes ("petals") of exciton-polariton condensates in a laser-generated annular trap. By tailoring the diameter and power of the annular trap, the polariton condensate can be switched among different trapped modes, accompanied by redistribution of spatial densities and superlinear increase in the emission intensities, implying that polariton condensates in this geometry could be exploited for a multistate switch. A model based on non-Hermitian modes of the generalized Gross-Pitaevsk…
Superposition states of circular currents of exciton-polaritons mimic the superconducting flux qubits. The phase of a polariton fluid must change by an integer number of $2π$, when going around the ring. If one introduces a $π$-phase delay line in the ring, the fluid is obliged to propagate a clockwise or anticlockwise circular current to reduce the total phase gained over one round-trip to zero or to build it up to $2π$. We show that such a $π$-delay line can be provided by a dark soliton pinned to a potential well created by a C-shape non-resonant pump-spot. The resulting split-ring polarito…
Optically pumping high quality semiconductor microcavities allows for the spontaneous formation of polariton condensates, which can propagate over distances of many microns. Tightly focussed pump spots here are found to produce expanding incoherent bottleneck polaritons which coherently amplify the ballistic polaritons and lead to the formation of unusual ring condensates. This quantum liquid is found to form a remarkable sunflower-like spatial ripple pattern which arises from self interference with Rayleigh-scattered coherent polariton waves in the Cerenkov regime.
We examine the photoluminescence of highly-excited exciton-polariton condensates in semiconductor microcavities. Under strong pumping, exciton-polariton condensates have been observed to undergo a lasing transition where strong coupling between the excitons and photons is lost. We discuss an alternative high-density scenario, where the strong coupling is maintained. We find that the photoluminescence smoothly transitions between the lower polariton energy to the cavity photon energy. An intuitive understanding of the change in spectral characteristics is given, as well as differences to the ph…
A full quantum theory beyond the mean-field regime is developed for an exciton polariton condensate, to gain a complete understanding of quantum fluctuations. We find analytical solution for the polariton density matrix, showing the polariton nonlinearity causing fast relaxation correlated with the pump so as to yield the condensation at threshold. Increasing the pump intensity, a nonequilibrium phase transition towards the condensation of lower polaritons emerges, with a statistics transiting from a thermal, through a super-Poissonian and to a nonclassical distribution beyond the understandin…
We investigate the dynamics and stationary states of a semiconductor exciton-polariton condensate in a double well potential. We find that upon the population build up of the polaritons by above-threshold laser pumping, coherence relaxation due to the phase fluctuations of the polaritons drives the system into a stable fixed point corresponding to a self-organized PT-symmetric phase.
We present a general theory of drag on a condensate due to interactions with a moving thermal bath of non-condensate particles, adapted from previous theory of equilibration of a condensate in a trap. This theory can be used to model the polariton drag effect observed previously, in which an electric current passing through a polariton condensate gives a measurable momentum transfer to the condensate, and an effective potential energy shift.
In this letter, we give an analytical quantum description of a non-equilibrium polariton Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) based on the solution of the master equation for the full polariton density matrix in the limit of fast thermalization. We find the density matrix of a non-equilibrium BEC, that takes into account quantum correlations between all polariton states. We show that the formation of BEC is accompanied by the build-up of cross-correlations between the ground state and the excited states reaching their highest values at the condensation threshold. Despite the non-equilibrium nature o…
We introduce and analyze a novel mean-field model for polariton condensates with velocity dependence of the effective polariton mass due the photon and exciton components. The effective mass depends on the in-plane wave vector k, which at the inflection point of the lower polariton energy branch becomes infinite and above negative. The polariton condensate modes of the new mean-field theory are now sensitive to mass variations and for certain points of the energy dispersion the polariton condensate mode represents fractional quantum mechanics. The impact of the generalized kinetic energy term …
We study theoretically the dynamical Casimir effect in an exciton-polariton condensate that is suddenly created by an ultrashort laser pulse at normal incidence. As a consequence of the abrupt change of the quantum vacuum, Bogoliubov excitations are generated. The subsequent evolution, governed by polariton interactions and losses, is studied within a linearized truncted Wigner approximation. We focus in particular on the momentum distribution and spatial coherence. The limiting behavior at large and small momenta is determined analytically. A simple scaling relation for the final condensate d…
We present a proposal and a feasibility study for the creation and quantum state tomography of a single polariton state of an atomic ensemble. The collective non-classical and non-Gaussian state of the ensemble is generated by detection of a single forward scattered photon. The state is subsequently characterized by atomic state tomography performed using strong dispersive light-atoms interaction followed by a homodyne measurement on the transmitted light. The proposal is backed by preliminary experimental results showing projection noise limited sensitivity and a simulation demonstrating the …
We put forward and discuss in detail a scheme to achieve Bose-Einstein condensation of stationary-light dark-state polaritons with dipolar interaction. To this end we have introduced a diamond-like coupling scheme in a vapor of Rydberg atoms under the frozen gas approximation. To determine the system's dynamics we employ normal modes and identify the dark-state polariton corresponding to one of the modes. We show that in contrast to atomic dipolar ultra-cold vapors dark-state polariton Bose-Einstein condensates proposed here can be stable for a negative dipolar interaction constant.
We propose a method to enhance the spatial coupling between ballistic exciton-polariton condensates in a semiconductor microcavity based on available spatial light modulator technologies. Our method, verified by numerically solving a generalized Gross-Pitaevskii model, exploits the strong nonequilibrium nature of exciton-polariton condensation driven by localized nonresonant optical excitation. Tailoring the excitation beam profile from a Gaussian into a polygonal shape results in refracted and focused radial streams of outflowing polaritons from the excited condensate which can be directed to…
When molecular transitions strongly couple to photon modes, they form hybrid light-matter modes called polaritons. Collective vibrational strong coupling is a promising avenue for control of chemistry, but this can be deterred by the large number of quasi-degenerate dark modes. The macroscopic occupation of a single polariton mode by excitations, as observed in Bose-Einstein condensation, offers promise for overcoming this issue. Here we theoretically investigate the effect of vibrational polariton condensation on the kinetics of electron transfer processes. Compared with excitation with infra…
Exciton-polariton condensates are considered as a deterministic source of bright, coherent non-Gaussian light. Exciton-polariton condensates emit coherent light via the photoluminescence through the microcavity mirrors due to the spontaneous formation of coherence. Unlike conventional lasers which emit coherent Gaussian light, polaritons possess a natural nonlinearity due to the interaction of the excitonic component. This produces light with a negative component to the Wigner function at steady-state operation when the phase is stabilized via a suitable method such as injection locking. In co…
The spontaneous formation of lattice structure of quantized vortices is a characteristic feature of superfluidity in closed systems under thermal equilibrium. In exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate, which is a typical example of macroscopic quantum state in open systems, spontaneous vortex lattices have also been proposed by not yet observed. Here, we take into account the finite decay rate of exciton reservoir, and theoretically investigate the vortex structures in circularly pumped polariton Bose-Einstein condensate. Our results show that a decreasing reservoir decay rate can reduce t…
