Hannover 2020 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 6: Quantum Effects (Disorder and Entanglement)
Q 6.3: Talk
Monday, March 9, 2020, 11:45–12:00, f342
Bose-Einstein Condensation of Light in Disordered Nano Cavities at Room Temperature — •Andris Erglis1 and Andrea Fratalocchi2 — 1Institute of Physics, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany — 2PRIMALIGHT, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
Bose-Einstein condensation is a macroscopic occupation of bosons in the lowest energy state. For atoms, temperatures near absolute zero kelvin are required to observe this phenomenon. For photons, condensation has been demonstrated at room temperature, requiring a large number of particles and very complicated setup.
Here we study the possibility of observing BEC of light at room temperature without a constraint on the number of photons in the system by leveraging disorder in a dielectric material. We demonstrate that photons in a disordered cavity with any initial statistical distribution in the steady state will reach thermal equilibrium and undergo Bose-Einstein condensation if the temperature is sufficiently reduced. At this point the photons follow a Boltzmann distribution. The analysis is carried out by using time-dependent quantum Langevin equations, complemented by a thermodynamic analysis. Both approaches give the same expression for the critical temperature of condensation. We demonstrate that the temperature is related to the losses of the system. By only varying the strength of disorder, it is possible to change the critical temperature of the phase transition, thus making condensation possible at room temperature. This work opens up the possibility to create new types of light condensate by using disorder.