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Photon-Number-Resolved Measurement of an Exciton-Polariton Condensate

M. Klaas, E. Schlottmann, H. Flayac, F. P. Laussy, F. Gericke, M. Schmidt, M. v. Helversen, J. Beyer, S. Brodbeck, H. Suchomel, S. Höfling, S. Reitzenstein, and C. Schneider
Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 047401 – Published 25 July 2018
Physics logo See Synopsis: Counting Photons from a Polariton Condensate
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Abstract

We measure the full photon-number distribution emitted from a Bose condensate of microcavity exciton polaritons confined in a micropillar cavity. The statistics are acquired by means of a photon-number-resolving transition edge sensor. We directly observe that the photon-number distribution evolves with the nonresonant optical excitation power from geometric to quasi-Poissonian statistics, which is canonical for a transition from a thermal to a coherent state. Moreover, the photon-number distribution allows one to evaluate the higher-order photon correlations, shedding further light on the coherence formation and phase transition of the polariton condensate. The experimental data are analyzed in terms of thermal-coherent states, which gives direct access to the thermal and coherent fraction from the measured distributions. These results pave the way for a full understanding of the contribution of interactions in light-matter condensates in the coherence buildup at threshold.

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  • Received 6 October 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.047401

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Synopsis

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Counting Photons from a Polariton Condensate

Published 25 July 2018

By counting the photons emitted from a microcavity, researchers shed light on the nature of an exotic condensate of quasiparticles contained in the cavity.    

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Authors & Affiliations

M. Klaas1, E. Schlottmann2, H. Flayac3, F. P. Laussy4,5, F. Gericke2, M. Schmidt2,6, M. v. Helversen2, J. Beyer6, S. Brodbeck1, H. Suchomel1, S. Höfling1,7, S. Reitzenstein2, and C. Schneider1

  • 1Technische Physik, Wilhelm-Conrad-Röntgen-Research Center for Complex Material Systems, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
  • 2Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, D-10623, Berlin, Germany
  • 3Institute of Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 4Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna St, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, United Kingdom
  • 5Russian Quantum Center, Novaya 100, 143025 Skolkovo, Moscow Region, Russia
  • 6Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestrasse 2-12, 10587 Berlin, Germany
  • 7SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9SS, United Kingdom

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Issue

Vol. 121, Iss. 4 — 27 July 2018

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