Bose-Einstein condensation of stationary-light polaritons

We propose and analyze a mechanism for Bose-Einstein condensation of stationary dark-state polaritons. Dark-state polaritons (DSPs) are formed in the interaction of light with laser-driven 3-level Lambda-type atoms and are the basis of phenomena such as electromagnetically induced transparency, ultraslow, and stored light. They have long intrinsic lifetimes and in a stationary setup, a 3D quadratic dispersion profile with variable effective mass. Since DSPs are bosons, they can undergo a Bose-Einstein condensation at a critical temperature which can be many orders of magnitude larger than that of atoms. We show that thermalization of polaritons can occur via elastic collisions mediated by a resonantly enhanced optical Kerr nonlinearity on a time scale short compared to the decay time. Finally, condensation can be observed by turning stationary into propagating polaritons and monitoring the emitted light.     

Quantum memory based on $\mathsf{\Lambda}$-atoms ensemble with two-photon resonance EIT

We study the -atoms ensemble based quantum memory for the quantum information carried by a probe light field. Two atomic Rabi transitions of the ensemble are coupled to the quantum probe field and classical control field respectively with a same detuning. Our analysis shows that the dark states and dark-state polaritons can still exist for the present case of two-photon resonance EIT. Starting from these dark states we can construct a complete class of eigen-states of the total system. A explicit form of the adiabatic condition is also given in order to achieve the memory and retrieve of quantum information.Received: 8 June 2004, Published online: 10 August 2004PACS: 03.67.-a Quantum information - 42.50.Gy Effects of atomic coherence on propagation, absorption, and amplification of light; electromagnetically induced transparency and absorption - 03.65.Fd Algebraic methods     

The dark-state polaritons of a double-Λ atomic ensemble

We study the interaction of two quantized fields with a double-Λ system driven by two classical control fields with variable complex Rabi frequencies. There exists one normal mode of the quantum fields that propagates without absorption. In the two-mode case of dark-state polaritons, we discuss the possibility of storing and retrieving the quantum state in this normal mode. This system can be also used to generate entangled state and, furthermore, it can act as a controllable beam splitter.     

Cavity linewidth narrowing with dark-state polaritons

We present a quantum-theoretical treatment of cavity linewidth narrowing with intracavity electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT). By means of intracavity EIT, the photons in the cavity are in the form of cavity polaritons:bright-state polariton and dark-state polariton. Strong coupling of the bright-state polariton to the excited state induces an effect known as vacuum Rabi splitting, whereas the dark-state polariton decoupled from the excited state induces a narrow cavity transmission window. Our analysis would provide a quantum theory of linewidth narrowing with a quantum field pulse.     

电磁诱导光透明过程中的Wigner-Yanse偏振信息

利用约化密度矩阵及信息的定义,研究了电磁诱导光透明机理下, 控制场变化过程中探测场与原子系综的Wigner-Yanse偏振信息, 结果表明:探测场信息转移过程中,原子的信息量不仅依赖于光子的数目及光子的状态, 还依赖于系综内原子的数目;调节控制场,使探测场不能通过介质时,探测场完成信息转移, 原子系综内单个原子信息量获得最大值,但探测场的信息量并没有完全地转移到原子系综. 关键词： 电磁诱导光透明 暗态极化子 Wigner-Yanse偏振信息     

Polariton dynamics of a disordered three-cavity system of four-level atoms

The effect of disorder in the intensity of the driving laser on the dynamics of a disordered three-cavity system of four-level atoms is investigated. This system can be described by a Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian for dark-state polaritons. We examine the evolution of the first- and second-order correlation functions, the photon and atomic excitation numbers and the basis state occupation probabilities. We use the full Hamiltonian and the approximate Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian with uniform and speckle disorder, as well as with different dipole couplings. We find that the results for the two Hamiltonians are in good agreement. We also find that it is possible to obtain bunching and antibunching of the polaritons by varying the dipole couplings and that polaritons can be driven into a purely photonic state by varying the laser intensity.     

Raman coupling and cooper pairing in cold atomic Fermi gases

We consider a cold two-species atomic Fermi gas confined in a trap. We combine the Hainan coupling between the states (we assume them to be the states with different spins) with the Cooper pairing of atoms with these different spins. This opens up a new prospect for investigation of interplay between various phenomena involving Raman coupling (e.g., atom lasers, dark-state polaritons) and effects caused by Cooper pairing of particles (e.g., superfluidity). We have obtained a threshold of transition from oscillatory to amplifying behavior of matter waves.     

An experimental approach for investigating many-body phenomena in Rydberg-interacting quantum systems

Recent developments in the study of ultracold Rydberg gases demand an adwanced level of experimental sophistication, in which high atomic and optical densities must be combined with excellent control of external fields and sensitive Rydberg atom detection. We describe a tailored experimental system used to produce and study Rydberg-interacting atoms excited from dense ultracold atomic gases. The experiment has been optimized for fast duty cycles using a high flux cold atom source and a three beam optical dipole trap. The latter enables tuning of the atomic density and temperature over several orders of magnitude, all the way to the Bose--Einstein condensation transition. An elec- trode structure surrounding the atoms allows for precise control over electric fields and single-particle sensitive field ionization detection of Rydberg atoms. We review two experiments which highlight the influence of strong Rydberg---Rydberg interactions on different many-body systems. First, the Rydberg blockade effect is used to pre-structure an atomic gas prior to its spontaneous evolution into an ultracold plasma. Second, hybrid states of photons and atoms called dark-state polaritons are studied. By looking at the statistical distribution of Rydberg excited atoms we reveal correlations between dark-state polaritons. These experiments will ultimately provide a deeper understanding of many-body phenomena in strongly-interacting regimes, including the study of strongly-coupled plasmas and interfaces between atoms and light at the quantum level.     

Propagation of quasi-two dimensional exciton polaritons in a quantum well waveguide

The propagation of exciton polaritons in an optical waveguide with a quantum well is studied. Spatial dispersion of the excitons causes the wave vector of the exciton polaritons to split between waveguide and exciton modes at resonance. The magnitude of this splitting is determined by the radiative decay parameter of excitons with corresponding polarization in the quantum well. The group velocity of the waveguide exciton polaritons in the resonance region can be three or four orders of magnitude lower than the speed of light in vacuum. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 362–365 (February 1998)     

The dynamics of a polariton dimer in a disordered coupled array of cavities

We investigate the effect of disorder in the laser intensity on the dynamics of dark-state polaritons in an array of 20 cavities, each containing an ensemble of four-level atoms that is described by a Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian. We examine the evolution of the polariton number in the cavities starting from a state with either one or two polaritons in one of the cavities. For the case of a single polariton without disorder in the laser intensity, we calculate the wavefunction of the polariton and find that it disperses away from the initial cavity with time. The addition of disorder results in minimal suppression of the dispersal of the wavefunction. In the case of two polaritons with an on-site repulsion to hopping strength ratio of 20, we find that the polaritons form a repulsively bound state or dimer. Without disorder the dimer wavefunction disperses similarly to the single polariton wavefunction but over a longer time period. The addition of sufficiently strong disorder results in localization of the polariton dimer. The localization length is found to be described by a power law with exponent ? 1.31. We also find that we can localise the dimer at any given time by switching on the disorder.     

Dynamic amplification and generation of entangled polaritons in doped media

We have developed a theory that describes the formation of probe-field polaritons under the conditions of strong coupling in the Raman ??-scheme interaction in a Y₂SiO₅ crystal doped with ⁵⁹Pr atoms. The threshold optical pump power for efficient amplification of the probe-field polaritons in a medium consisting of three-level atoms is determined. The onset of strong nonclassical correlations (entanglement) between the light- and dark-state polaritons at the near-threshold pump power is established.     

Exciton-polaritons in lattices: A non-linear photonic simulator

Microcavity polaritons are mixed light–matter quasiparticles with extraordinary nonlinear properties, which can be easily accessed in photoluminescence experiments. Thanks to the possibility of designing the potential landscape of polaritons, this system provides a versatile photonic platform to emulate 1D and 2D Hamiltonians. Polaritons allow transposing to the photonic world some of the properties of electrons in solid-state systems, and to engineer Hamiltonians for photons with novel transport properties. Here we review some experimental implementations of polariton Hamiltonians using lattice geometries.     

Bloch oscillations of quasispin polaritons in a magneto-optically controlled atomic ensemble

We consider the propagation of quantized polarized light in a magneto-optically-manipulated atomic ensemble with a tripod configuration. A polariton formalism is applied when the medium is subjected to a washboard magnetic field under electromagnetically-induced transparency. The dark-state polariton with multiple components is achieved. We analyze the quantum dynamics of the dark-state polariton using experimental data from the rubidium D1-line. It is found that one component propagates freely, however the wave packet trajectory of the other component performs Bloch oscillations.     

Test of the all-optical control of wave-particle duality of cavity photons by ordinary photodetection

The principle of complementarity refers to the ability of quantum entities to behave as particles or waves under different experimental conditions. We present a proposal for the experimental observation of the ultrafast all-optical control of the wave-particle duality of light. The device is constituted by a three-level quantum emitter strongly coupled to a microcavity (MC) and can be realized by exploiting a great variety of systems, ranging from atomic physics and semiconductor quantum dots to intersubband polaritons and Cooper pair boxes. The wavelike or particlelike behavior of MC photons can be probed by simply measuring the cavity output photon rate after excitation with pairs of phase-locked weak pulses with precise arrival times.     

Exciton polaritons in a one-and-a-half-wave algan microcavity: Results of mathematical modeling

Several manifestations of exciton polaritons formed as a result of the interaction of a light wave with a microresonator containing quantum wells in a one-and-a-half-wave AlGaN microcavity are considered using approaches typical of mathematical modeling. The electric field of the light wave in the microcavity and the angular dispersion of the polariton branches are obtained using the transfer-matrix method.     

Optical quantum simulation of Abelian gauge field using cold atomic ensembles coupled with arrays of optical cavities

A potentially practical scheme is proposed to realize optical quantum simulation of artificial Abelian gauge field in a scalable architecture consisting of cold atomic ensembles with optical cavities.In the present model,the collective excitations of cold atomic ensembles can be converted to the bosonic modes within the low-excitation limit,where the structure of two-dimension(2D)square plaquette enables the polaritons to move like a charged particle subjected to an external magnetic field.We find that the energy spectrum of this hybrid system exhibits a shape of Hofstadter buttery.Our work provides a different perspective to the quantum simulation of condensed matter and many-body physics in the context of cavity quantum electrodynamics.The experimental feasibility are justified using the existing techniques.     

Quantum optical effects in semiconductor microcavities

Investigations of quantum effects in semiconductor quantum-well microcavities interacting with laser light in the strong-coupling regime are presented. Modifications of quantum fluctuations of the outgoing light are expected due to the non-linearity originating from coherent exciton–exciton scattering. In the strong-coupling regime, this scattering translates into a four-wave mixing interaction between the mixed exciton–photon states, the polaritons. Squeezing and giant amplification of the polariton field and of the outgoing light field fluctuations are predicted. However, polariton–phonon scattering is shown to yield excess noise in the output field, which may destroy the non-classical effects. Experiments demonstrate evidence for giant amplification due to coherent four-wave mixing of polaritons. Noise reduction below the thermal noise level was also observed. To cite this article: E. Giacobino et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 41–52     

Exciton-photon interaction in low-dimensional semiconductor microcavities

The structure of the photon states and dispersion of cavity polaritons in semiconductor microcavities with two-dimensional optical confinement (photon wires), fabricated from planar Bragg structures with a quantum well in the active layer, are investigated by measuring the angular dependence of the photoluminescence spectra. The size quantization of light due to the wavelength-commensurate lateral dimension of the cavity causes additional photon modes to appear. The dispersion of polaritons in photon wires is found to agree qualitatively with the prediction for wires having an ideal quantum well, for which the spectrum is formed by pairwise interaction between exciton and photon modes of like spatial symmetry. The weak influence of the exciton symmetry-breaking random potential in the quantum well indicates a mechanism of polariton production through light-induced collective exciton states. This phenomenon is possible because the light wavelength is large in comparison with the exciton radius and the dephasing time of the collective exciton state is long. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 1329–1345 (October 1998)     

Force control between quantum dots by light in polaritonic molecule states

Photomediated force between quantum dots (QDs) is theoretically studied. An attractive (repulsive) interparticle radiation force (IRF) arises by selectively exciting the lower (higher) split state of coupled polaritons in QDs. Since these states are analogous to bonding and antibonding states of a diatomic molecule, we term this system the "polaritonic molecule (PM)". IRF in PM states is controlled by the photon energy, polarization, and phase at each QD. This mechanism can be used to probe internal quantum properties of nano-objects and to manipulate collective dynamics of QDs.     

II-VI族稀磁半导体微纳结构中的激子磁极化子及其发光

自旋是基本粒子（电子、光子）角动量的内在形式.固体中体现自旋特征的集体电子行为如拓扑绝缘体等是当前凝聚态物理领域关注的焦点,是基态行为.激子作为电子空穴对的激发态且寿命很短,可复合发光,它是否能体现自旋极化主导的行为?对此人们的认识远不如针对基态的电子.激子磁极化子（exciton magnetic polaron,EMP）是由磁性半导体微结构中铁磁自旋耦合态与自由激子相互作用形成的复合元激发,但其研究很有限.本文概述了我们在稀磁半导体微纳米结构中的EMP及其发光动态学光谱、自旋极化激子凝聚态的形成方面取得的一些进展,展望了未来可能在自旋光电子器件、磁控激光、光致磁性等量子技术方面的潜在应用.