Descripción del proyecto
Exploración de las interacciones de polaritones en sistemas de electrones en dos dimensiones
El proyecto POLTDES, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, investigará el acoplamiento de electrones itinerantes a polaritones de cavidad, fascinantes cuasipartículas que ofrecen un rico terreno de juego para estudiar la condensación en condiciones de no equilibrio y la superfluidez. Los investigadores estudiarán la compleja interacción entre los polaritones de cavidad y los estados fuertemente correlacionados en un gas de electrones en dos dimensiones. Intentarán lograr una superconductividad mediada por polaritones e investigar las firmas polaritónicas de los estados electrónicos que presentan orden topológico. Aprovechando el acoplamiento electrón-polaritón, los investigadores potenciarán las interacciones polaritón-polaritón y se aventurarán en el régimen de bloqueo de polaritones, en el que se impide que dos polaritones ocupen el mismo estado. Este avance debería permitir la exploración de los polaritones que interactúan fuertemente en condiciones de no equilibrio.
Objetivo
Reversible coupling of excitons and photons in a microcavity leads to the formation of mixed light-matter quasiparticles, called cavity-polaritons. Weakly interacting polaritons constitute a rich system for studying nonequilibrium condensation and superfluidity. While exciton-polaritons have been studied mostly in intrinsic semiconductors with no free electrons, two-dimensional modulation-doped semiconductors with strong interactions between electrons have played a central role in unravelling many-body physics using transport. In this project, we combine these two fields of research and explore the complex interplay between cavity-polaritons and strongly correlated states of two dimensional electrons embedded inside microcavities. Our principal objective is the realization of polariton mediated superconductivity of electrons in gallium arsenide. Besides demonstrating a new mechanism for Cooper-pair formation, such an observation could revolutionize the search for systems that exhibit topological order. In a reciprocal approach, we will exploit the many-body nature of optical excitations in a two-dimensional electron gas to enhance polariton-polariton interactions. This will allow us to reach the polariton blockade regime, paving the way for realization of nonequilibrium strongly interacting polaritons. In parallel, we will explore cavity-magneto-polariton excitations out of fractional quantum Hall ground states: the objective in this part is to use the strong filling factor dependence of polariton splitting to realize nonlinear optical devices which derive their photon-photon interaction from light-absorption induced transition between compressible and incompressible ground states. Concurrently, we will study charged-exciton-polaritons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides positioned inside a microcavity, where a large polariton Berry-curvature allows for the observation of valley Hall effect and could be used to realize topological polaritons.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicselectromagnetism
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metals
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopyabsorption spectroscopy
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssuperconductivity
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsphotons
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantInstitución de acogida
8092 Zuerich
Suiza