Bonn 2025 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 39: Photon BEC
Q 39.8: Talk
Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 16:15–16:30, HS V
Optically tuneable lattice potentials for Bose-Einstein condensates of photons — •Nikolas Longen1, Purbita Kole1, Daniel Ehrmanntraut1, Peter Schnorrenberg1, Kevin Peters1, and Julian Schmitt1,2 — 1Universität Bonn, IAP, Wegelerstr. 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany — 2Universität Heidelberg, KIP, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg
The concept of periodic potentials plays a key role in solid state physics, giving rise to emergent classical and quantum phases in materials with intricate system properties, such as topological band structures. Correspondingly, the precise control of lattice potentials for quantum gases of atoms, polaritons, or photons enables the simulation of a wide range of complex physical systems. Here, we present the realisation of tuneable lattice potentials for Bose-Einstein condensates of photons within dye-filled optical microcavities. A static lattice potential is created by imprinting localised indents on high-reflectivity cavity mirrors, in which the photons are trapped. By irradiating one of the cavity mirrors with a laser beam shaped by a spatial light modulator, we locally modulate the temperature of the dye medium. Exploiting the thermo-optic response of the dye solution, we demonstrate the reversible tunability of the potential energy of the photon condensates at individual lattice sites. The tunability is characterised by its spatial, temporal and power dependence on the heating laser pattern. Creating and tuning potentials for photon Bose-Einstein condensates in lattices using this method permits the reconfigurable creation of band structures for light, particularly those of topologically non-trivial character.
Keywords: Optical cavities; Bose-Einstein condensates; Photonics; Nanostructures; Open Quantum Systems