Photonic molecule

Photonic molecules are a form of matter in which photons bind together to form "molecules". They were first predicted in 2007. Photonic molecules are formed when individual (massless) photons "interact with each other so strongly that they act as though they have mass". In an alternative definition (which is not equivalent), photons confined to two or more coupled optical cavities also reproduce the physics of interacting atomic energy levels, and have been termed as photonic molecules. Researchers drew analogies between the phenomenon and the fictional "lightsaber" from Star Wars. Construction Gaseous rubidium atoms were pumped into a vacuum chamber. The cloud was cooled using lasers to just a few degrees above absolute zero. Using weak laser pulses, small numbers of photons were fired into the cloud. As the photons entered the cloud, their energy excited atoms along their path, causing them to lose speed. Inside the cloud medium

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Bosonic lasing and trapping of a dressed photon fluid in InGaN at room temperature

Munise Nevin Cobet

The generation of a quantum fluid of dressed photons at room temperature is experimentally demonstrated in an InGaN microcavity which is divided into two-and one-dimensional sections, resulting in single- and switchable multilevel coherent light emission. Ultra-low-threshold operation is attributed to the slight but robust excitonic fraction of the photonic condensate representing a bosonic laser working below the Mott transition (polariton laser). In contrast to equilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates, the nonequilibrium driven-dissipative nature enables the population of higher orbitals if any confinement potential is present to induce enhanced quantum correlations. Trapping inside microwire spacers leads to a polariton harmonic oscillator resulting in discrete states in an equidistant ladder of photonic orbitals. Level occupation and selection of a specific wave function is managed via optical control, mimicking a quantum emitter on a macroscopic level. It shows that exotic states of matter can be realized in rather simple structures at room temperature directly visible to the human eye. It represents also an excellent opportunity to study basic many-body dynamics in one-dimensional bosonic matter by simultaneously settling an optimized fabrication technique for devices enabling practical Boolean quantum logic gates for optical computing.

Amer Physical Soc2016

Resonant absorption of a chemically sensitive layer based on waveguide gratings

Guillaume Basset, Laurent Davoine, Hans Peter Herzig, Vincent Paeder, Marc Schnieper

A colorimetric sensor providing a direct visual indication of chemical contamination was developed. The sensor is a combination of a chemically sensitive dye layer and a resonant waveguide grating. Enhancement of the light absorption by the photonic structure can be clearly seen. The detection is based on the color change of the reflected light after exposure to a gas or a liquid. Low-cost fabrication and compatibility with environments where electricity cannot be used make this device very attractive for applications in hospitals, industries, with explosives, and in traffic.

Optical Society of America2013

Nanofluidic control of coupled photonic crystal resonators

Laurent Balet, Massimo Gurioli

A fine control of a photonic molecule is obtained by nanofluidic techniques. The coupling condition between the modes of two photonic crystal nanocavities is modified by spectrally tuning each single resonator. Clear mode anticrossing and transition from localized to delocalized states are observed. The detuning induced by disorder, always present in real device, is experimentally compensated by locally modifying the photonic environment of the cavity.

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