Stochastic circular persistent currents of exciton polaritons.

We monitor the orbital degree of freedom of exciton-polariton condensates confined within an optical trap and unveil the stochastic switching of persistent annular polariton currents under pulse-periodic excitation. Within an elliptical trap, the low-lying in energy polariton current states manifest as a two-petaled density distribution with a swirling phase. In the stochastic regime, the density distribution, averaged over multiple excitation pulses, becomes homogenized in the azimuthal direction. Meanwhile, the weighted phase, extracted from interference experiments, exhibits two compensatory jumps when varied around the center of the trap. Introducing a supplemental control optical pulse to break the reciprocity of the system enables the transition from a stochastic to a deterministic regime, allowing for controlled polariton circulation direction.

Qubit gate operations in elliptically trapped polariton condensates.

We consider bosonic condensates of exciton-polaritons optically confined in elliptical traps. A superposition of two non-degenerated p-type states of the condensate oriented along the two main axes of the trap is represented by a point on a Bloch sphere, being considered as an optically tunable qubit. We describe a set of universal single-qubit gates resulting in a controllable shift of the Bloch vector by means of an auxiliary laser beam. Moreover, we consider interaction mechanisms between two neighboring traps that enable designing two-qubit operations such as CPHASE and CNOT gates. Both the single- and two-qubit gates are analyzed in the presence of error sources in the context of polariton traps, such as pure dephasing and spontaneous relaxation mechanisms, leading to a fidelity reduction of the final qubit states and quantum concurrence, as well as the increase of Von Neumann entropy. We also discuss the applicability of our qubit proposal in the context of DiVincenzo's criteria for the realization of local quantum computing processes. Altogether, the developed set of quantum operations would pave the way to the realization of a variety of quantum algorithms in a planar microcavity with a set of optically induced elliptical traps.

Steady state oscillations of circular currents in concentric polariton condensates.

Concentric ring exciton polariton condensates emerging under non-resonant laser pump in an annular trapping potential support persistent circular currents of polaritons. The trapping potential is formed by a cylindrical micropillar etched in a semiconductor microcavity with embedded quantum wells and a repulsive cloud of optically excited excitons under the pump spot. The symmetry of the potential is subject to external control via manipulation by its pump-induced component. In the manuscript, we demonstrate excitation of concentric ring polariton current states with predetermined vorticity which we trace using interferometry measurements with a spherical reference wave. We also observe the polariton condensate dynamically changing its vorticity during observation, which results in pairs of fork-like dislocations on the time-averaged interferogram coexisting with azimuthally homogeneous photoluminescence distribution in the micropillar.

Titanium-Based Metasurfaces for Optoelectronics.

We report on the fabrication method that enables the development of transparent conductive metasurfaces capable of the resonant absorption of light in specific frequency bands. The approach is based on embedding linear sp-carbon chains and metallic nanoparticles in a porous matrix of titanium dioxide (TiO2). We develop a blading technique for the formation of a periodical grating of TiO2 microtubes at the macroscale. The method allowed us to maintain the periodicity of an array of microtubes with an accuracy of ±5%. Tuning the diameter of the tubes and the concentration of metallic nanoparticles, we achieved the regime of strong resonant absorption of the fabricated complex metasurface in the visible range. Computer simulations helped revealthe regime of TE/TM-polarized laser pumping that allowed for the most efficient transformation of light energy into electric current flow. In the studied structures, the sp-carbon clusters embedded inside transparent titanium dioxide tubes play the role of atomic wires. The interplay between efficient conductivity through carbon wires and the plasmon-enhanced absorption of light allows the design of photodiode structures based on periodical metasurfaces and characterized by highly selective optical sensitivity.

Femtosecond Dynamics of a Polariton Bosonic Cascade at Room Temperature.

Whispering gallery modes in a microwire are characterized by a nearly equidistant energy spectrum. In the strong exciton-photon coupling regime, this system represents a bosonic cascade: a ladder of discrete energy levels that sustains stimulated transitions between neighboring steps. Here, by using a femtosecond angle-resolved spectroscopic imaging technique, the ultrafast dynamics of polaritons in a bosonic cascade based on a one-dimensional ZnO whispering gallery microcavity are explicitly visualized. Clear ladder-form build-up processes from higher to lower energy branches of the polariton condensates are observed, which are well reproduced by modeling using rate equations. Remarkably, a pronounced superbunching feature, which could serve as solid evidence for bosonic cascades, is demonstrated by the measured second-order time correlation factor. In addition, the nonlinear polariton parametric scattering dynamics on a time scale of hundreds of femtoseconds are revealed. Our understandings pave the way toward ultrafast coherent control of polaritons at room temperature.

Spatial coherence of room-temperature monolayer WSe2 exciton-polaritons in a trap.

The emergence of spatial and temporal coherence of light emitted from solid-state systems is a fundamental phenomenon intrinsically aligned with the control of light-matter coupling. It is canonical for laser oscillation, emerges in the superradiance of collective emitters, and has been investigated in bosonic condensates of thermalized light, as well as exciton-polaritons. Our room temperature experiments show the strong light-matter coupling between microcavity photons and excitons in atomically thin WSe2. We evidence the density-dependent expansion of spatial and temporal coherence of the emitted light from the spatially confined system ground-state, which is accompanied by a threshold-like response of the emitted light intensity. Additionally, valley-physics is manifested in the presence of an external magnetic field, which allows us to manipulate K and K' polaritons via the valley-Zeeman-effect. Our findings validate the potential of atomically thin crystals as versatile components of coherent light-sources, and in valleytronic applications at room temperature.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in persistent currents of spinor polaritons.

We predict the spontaneous symmetry breaking in a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate of exciton-polaritons (polaritons) caused by the coupling of its spin and orbital degrees of freedom. We study a polariton condensate trapped in a ring-shaped effective potential with a broken rotational symmetry. We propose a realistic scheme of generating controllable spinor azimuthal persistent currents of polaritons in the trap under the continuous wave optical pump. We propose a new type of half-quantum circulating states in a spinor system characterized by azimuthal currents in both circular polarizations and a vortex in only one of the polarizations. The spontaneous symmetry breaking in the spinor polariton condensate that consists in the switching from co-winding to opposite-winding currents in opposite spin states is revealed. It is characterized by the change of the average orbital angular momentum of the condensate from zero to non-zero values. The radial displacement of the pump spot and the polarization of the pump act as the control parameters. The considered system exhibits a fundamental similarity to a superconducting flux qubit, which makes it highly promising for applications in quantum computing.

Bosonic condensation of exciton-polaritons in an atomically thin crystal.

The emergence of two-dimensional crystals has revolutionized modern solid-state physics. From a fundamental point of view, the enhancement of charge carrier correlations has sparked much research activity in the transport and quantum optics communities. One of the most intriguing effects, in this regard, is the bosonic condensation and spontaneous coherence of many-particle complexes. Here we find compelling evidence of bosonic condensation of exciton-polaritons emerging from an atomically thin crystal of MoSe2 embedded in a dielectric microcavity under optical pumping at cryogenic temperatures. The formation of the condensate manifests itself in a sudden increase of luminescence intensity in a threshold-like manner, and a notable spin-polarizability in an externally applied magnetic field. Spatial coherence is mapped out via highly resolved real-space interferometry, revealing a spatially extended condensate. Our device represents a decisive step towards the implementation of coherent light-sources based on atomically thin crystals, as well as non-linear, valleytronic coherent devices.

Field-Induced Assembly of sp-sp2 Carbon Sponges.

The formation of macroscale carbon structures characterised by an sp-sp2-hybridization is realised by self-assembly in colloidal solutions under an effect of laser irradiation and electromagnetic fields. The sponge-like morphology, sculptured with gold nanoparticles (NPs) was revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging. Full structural and defect characterization of the self-assembled sponges was provided using the micro-Raman spectroscopic technique. The synthesized clusters manifest themselves in the presence of a strong spectral band in the visible range of the photoluminescence spectra that is quite unusual for ordered sp2-carbon systems.

Polygonal patterns of confined light.

We propose a technique for the generation of polygonal optical patterns in real space using a combined effect of the spin-orbit interaction and confinement of light in the plane of a dielectric optical microcavity. The spin-orbit interaction emerging from the splitting in transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) optical modes of the microcavity gives rise to oscillations in space of propagating macroscopic wave packets of polarized photons. Confined in a harmonic potential, the latter follow closed trajectories of a polygonal form. We demonstrate the possibility of excitation by a continuous wave resonant optical pumping of polygonal optical patterns with a controllable (both even and odd) number of vertices.

Formation of Fractal Dendrites by Laser-Induced Melting of Aluminum Alloys.

We report on the fabrication of fractal dendrites using laser-induced melting of aluminum alloys. We target boron carbide (B4C), which is one of the most effective radiation-absorbing materials characterized by a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Due to the high fragility of B4C crystals, we were able to introduce its nanoparticles into a stabilization aluminum matrix of AA385.0. The high-intensity laser field action led to the formation of composite dendrite structures under the effect of local surface melting. Modelling the dendrite cluster growth confirms its fractal nature and sheds light on the pattern behavior of the resulting quasicrystal structure.

Chiral condensates in a polariton hexagonal ring.

We model the generation of vortex modes in exciton-polariton condensates in semiconductor micropillars, arranged into a hexagonal ring molecule, in the presence of TE-TM splitting. This splitting lifts the degeneracy of azimuthally modulated vortex modes with opposite topological charges supported by this structure, so that a number of non-degenerate vortex states characterized by different combinations of topological charges in two polarization components appears. We present a full bifurcation picture for such vortex modes and show that because they have different energies they can be selectively excited by coherent pump beams with specific frequencies and spatial configurations. At high pumping intensity, polariton-polariton interactions give rise to the coupling of different vortex resonances and a bistable regime is achieved.

Excitonic Fine Structure in Emission of Linear Carbon Chains.

We studied monatomic linear carbon chains stabilized by gold nanoparticles attached to their ends and deposited on a solid substrate. We observe spectral features of straight chains containing from 8 to 24 atoms. Low-temperature PL spectra reveal characteristic triplet fine structures that repeat themselves for carbon chains of different lengths. The triplet is invariably composed of a sharp intense peak accompanied by two broader satellites situated 15 and 40 meV below the main peak. We interpret these resonances as an edge-state neutral exciton and positively and negatively charged trions, respectively. The time-resolved PL shows that the radiative lifetime of the observed quasiparticles is about 1 ns, and it increases with the increase of the length of the chain. At high temperatures a nonradiative exciton decay channel appears due to the thermal hopping of carriers between parallel carbon chains. Excitons in carbon chains possess large oscillator strengths and extremely low inhomogeneous broadenings.

Electric field assisted alignment of monoatomic carbon chains.

We stabilize monoatomic carbon chains in water by attaching them to gold nanoparticles (NPs) by means of the laser ablation process. Resulting nanoobjects represent pairs of NPs connected by multiple straight carbon chains of several nanometer lengths. If NPs at the opposite ends of a chain differ in size, the structure acquires a dipole moment due to the difference in work functions of the two NPs. We take advantage of the dipole polarisation of carbon chains for ordering them by the external electric field. We deposit them on a glass substrate by the sputtering method in the presence of static electric fields of magnitudes up to 105 V/m. The formation of one-dimensional carbyne quasi-crystals deposited on a substrate is evidenced by high-resolution TEM and X-ray diffraction measurements. The original kinetic model describing the dynamics of ballistically flowing nano-dipoles reproduces the experimental diagram of orientation of the deposited chains.

Hybrid optical fiber for light-induced superconductivity.

We exploit the recent proposals for the light-induced superconductivity mediated by a Bose-Einstein condensate of exciton-polaritons to design a superconducting fiber that would enable long-distance transport of a supercurrent at elevated temperatures. The proposed fiber consists of a conventional core made of a silica glass with the first cladding layer formed by a material sustaining dipole-polarised excitons with a binding energy exceeding 25 meV. To be specific, we consider a perovskite cladding layer of 20 nm width. The second cladding layer is made of a conventional superconductor such as aluminium. The fiber is covered by a conventional coating buffer and by a plastic outer jacket. We argue that the critical temperature for a superconducting phase transition in the second cladding layer may be strongly enhanced due to the coupling of the superconductor to a bosonic condensate of exciton-polaritons optically induced by the evanescent part of the guiding mode confined in the core. The guided light mode would penetrate to the first cladding layer and provide the strong exciton-photon coupling regime. We run simulations that confirm the validity of the proposed concept. The fabrication of superconducting fibers where a high-temperature superconductivity could be controlled by light would enable passing superconducting currents over extremely long distances.

Polariton polarization rectifier.

We propose a novel photonic device, the polariton polarization rectifier, intended to transform polariton pulses with arbitrary polarization into linearly polarized pulses with controllable orientation of the polarization plane. It is based on the interplay between the orbital motion of the polariton wave packet and the dynamics of the polariton pseudospin governed by the spatially dependent effective magnetic field. The latter is controlled by the TE-TM splitting in a harmonic trap. We show that the unpolarized polariton pulse acquires linear polarization in the course of propagation in a harmonic trap. This gives the considered structure an extra function as a linear polarizer of polariton pulses.

Self-Trapping of Exciton-Polariton Condensates in GaAs Microcavities.

The self-trapping of exciton-polariton condensates is demonstrated and explained by the formation of a new polaronlike state. Above the polariton lasing threshold, local variation of the lattice temperature provides the mechanism for an attractive interaction between polaritons. Because of this attraction, the condensate collapses into a small bright spot. Its position and momentum variances approach the Heisenberg quantum limit. The self-trapping does not require either a resonant driving force or a presence of defects. The trapped state is stabilized by the phonon-assisted stimulated scattering of excitons into the polariton condensate. While the formation mechanism of the observed self-trapped state is similar to the Landau-Pekar polaron model, this state is populated by several thousands of quasiparticles, in a striking contrast to the conventional single-particle polaron state.

Optical valley Hall effect for highly valley-coherent exciton-polaritons in an atomically thin semiconductor.

Spin-orbit coupling is a fundamental mechanism that connects the spin of a charge carrier with its momentum. In the optical domain, an analogous synthetic spin-orbit coupling is accessible by engineering optical anisotropies in photonic materials. Both yield the possibility of creating devices that directly harness spin and polarization as information carriers. Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides promise intrinsic spin-valley Hall features for free carriers, excitons and photons. Here we demonstrate spin- and valley-selective propagation of exciton-polaritons in a monolayer of MoSe2 that is strongly coupled to a microcavity photon mode. In a wire-like device we trace the flow and helicity of exciton-polaritons expanding along its channel. By exciting a coherent superposition of K and K' tagged polaritons, we observe valley-selective expansion of the polariton cloud without either an external magnetic field or coherent Rayleigh scattering. The observed optical valley Hall effect occurs on a macroscopic scale, offering the potential for applications in spin-valley-locked photonic devices.

Nanocomposite Metamaterials Based on Self-assembled Titanium Dioxide Rolls with Embedded Gold Nanoparticles.

An experimental method for fabrication of a nanocomposite metamaterial based on a self-assembly of titanium dioxide microtubes with encapsulated gold nanoparticles (NPs) is proposed. The formation of microtubes is induced by laser irradiation in the presence of an external magnetic field. It is shown that the variation of the metal NP concentration leads to the increase of the optical absorption of the metamaterial. The possibility of using arrays of oriented microtubes as absorbing n-doped layers for solar cells is demonstrated.