Thermalization and Bose-Einstein condensation of quantum light in bulk nonlinear media

Year: 2016

Authors: Chiocchetta A., Larre PE., Carusotto I.

Autors Affiliation: SISSA, Int Sch Adv Studies, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy; Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy; Univ Trento, INO, CNR, BEC Ctr, Via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo, Italy; Univ Trento, Dipartimento Fis, Via Sommarive 14, I-38123 Povo, Italy.

Abstract: We study the thermalization and the Bose-Einstein condensation of a paraxial, spectrally narrow beam of quantum light propagating in a lossless bulk Kerr medium. The spatiotemporal evolution of the quantum optical field is ruled by a Heisenberg equation analogous to the quantum nonlinear Schrodinger equation of dilute atomic Bose gases. Correspondingly, in the weak-nonlinearity regime, the phase-space density evolves according to the Boltzmann equation. Expressions for the thermalization time and for the temperature and the chemical potential of the eventual Bose-Einstein distribution are found. After discussing experimental issues, we introduce an optical setup allowing the evaporative cooling of a guided beam of light towards Bose-Einstein condensation. This might serve as a novel source of coherent light. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2016

Journal/Review: EUROPHYSICS LETTERS

Volume: 115 (2)      Pages from: 24002-1  to: 24002-6

More Information: We are grateful to G. FERRARI, A. GAMBASSI, A. MINGUZZI, C. MINIATURA and M. RICHARD for helpful and stimulating discussions. AC acknowledges the kind hospitality of the BEC Center, where this work was partially done. P-EL and IC were funded by the EU-FET Proactive Grant AQuS, Project No. 640800, and by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento, partly through the Call Grandi Progetti 2012, Project SiQuro.
KeyWords: Thermodynamic Description; Photons
DOI: 10.1209/0295-5075/115/24002

Citations: 22
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