Hannover 2020 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 58: Quantum gases (Bosons) V

Q 58.6: Talk

Friday, March 13, 2020, 12:30–12:45, e214

Compressing the Phase Space Density of Light by Thermalization in a Dye-Filled Microcavity — •Erik Busley, Christian Kurtscheid, Fahri Öztürk, David Dung, and Martin Weitz — Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn, Wegelerstr. 8, D-53115 Bonn

A two-dimensional photon gas confined in a dye-filled optical microcavity can exhibit both thermalization and – above a critical particle number – Bose-Einstein condensation, as shown in earlier work of our group [1, 2]. The used short spacing of the two curved mirrors of the microcavity makes the system formally equivalent to a two-dimensional, harmonically trapped one of massive bosons, where thermalization of the photon gas is achieved by repeated absorption and emission cycles on the dye molecules.

A spectral redistribution comes along with a spatial redistribution of photons. Here we investigate phase space compression of the photon gas below the threshold to Bose-Einstein condensation from the thermalization, as expected from an effective cooling of the photon cloud to room temperature in the trapping potential. The variation of the final phase space density is studied for different mirror reflectivity profiles and dye spectra. The current status of the experiment, along with a simple numerical model will be reported.

[1] J. Klärs et al., Nature 468, 545 (2010)
[2] J. Klärs et al., Nat. Phys. 6, 512 (2010)