Supersolidity of Polariton Condensates in Photonic Crystal Waveguides

Year: 2025

Authors: Nigro D., Trypogeorgos D., Gianfrate A., Sanvitto D., Carusotto I., Gerace D.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Pavia, Dipartimento Fis, Via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; Inst Nanotechnol, CNR Nanotec, Via Monteroni, I-73100 Lecce, Italy; Univ Trento, Pitaevskii BEC Ctr, CNR, INO, Via Sommar 14, I-38123 Trento, Italy; Univ Trento, Dipartimento Fis, Via Sommar 14, I-38123 Trento, Italy.

Abstract: Condensation of exciton polaritons has been recently observed in gap-confined states of onedimensional photonic crystal waveguides. Here we focus on the theoretical emergence of a second emission threshold in this platform, in addition to the one associated with condensation at zero momentum, due to the nonlinear polariton scattering from the condensate into finite momentum eigenmodes. The physics of this spatially modulated condensate is related to a spontaneous breaking of both phase and translational symmetries simultaneously, bearing similarities with the highly sought supersolid phase in Helium and ultracold atomic gases but with a novel mechanism typical of the driven-dissipative scenario. We then propose clear-cut and unequivocal experimental signatures that would allow to identify such non-equilibrium supersolidity of polariton condensates.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Volume: 134 (5)      Pages from: 56002-1  to: 56002-8

More Information: This project was partly funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU within the Ministero dell ’ Universita e della Ricerca (MUR) PNRR Project No. PE0000023-NQSTI. I. C. acknowledges financial support from the Provincia Autonoma di Trento, from the Q@TN initiative. The authors acknowledge useful scientific discussions with G. I. Martone. D. N. warmly acknowledges A. Tripodo for helpful discussions.
KeyWords: Crystal waveguides; Eigen modes; Emission threshold; Exciton-polariton; Finite momentum; One-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides; Polariton condensates; Polariton scattering; Supersolidity; Zero-momentum
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.056002

Citations: 2
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