CNRS/LPN : Microcavities in the strong coupling regime
Laboratory for Photonics and Nanostructures
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UPR20
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Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group LPN) > Microcavities in the strong coupling regime
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Modern epitaxial technologies allow for the realisation of semiconductor nanostructures with simultaneous confinement of the electronic states and of the light modes. This is the case of semiconductor microcavities, whose elementary excitations are microcavity polaritons. These are two-dimensional half-light half-matter quasi-particles arising from the strong coupling between quantum well excitons and photons in a planar Fabry Perot resonator.

Their mixed light matter nature provides polaritons with unprecedented fundamental properties. From their excitonic part, polaritons strongly interact both with themselves and with the thermal bath of phonons. From their photonic content, polaritons have a very small effective mass (10-5 the free electron mass) and can be directly excited and observed via their light absorption and emission. All these properties along with their composite boson nature make polaritons very attractive to achieve Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) and to study quantum fluid effects in a solid state system at high temperatures (5-300K). Moreover, the properties of a polariton condensate, such as its density, phase and temporal and spatial coherence, can be directly accessed by well developed optical spectroscopy techniques in a large variety of structures and geometries.

The high crystallographic quality of the GaAs based microcavities along with the refined etching techniques developed at LPN, allow for the Bose condensation of polaritons in 2D, 1D and 0D structures, and open the way to the study of coherent macroscopic phases, superfluidity, Josephson oscillations, soliton formation, quantum turbulence studies, etc.

AutoOrg Polariton condensation in 2D, 1D and 0D
AutoOrg Polariton propagation in microwires
AutoOrg Collective phases in coupled micropillars
AutoOrg Electrically driven polariton devices
AutoOrg Polariton Optical Parametric Oscillation
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 Amo Alberto  (+33) 1 69 63 61 91  
 Bloch Jacqueline  (+33) 1 69 63 61 90  

And also...

 Galopin Elisabeth  (+33) 1 69 63 60 66  
 Gauthron Karine  (+33) 1 69 63 61 94  
 Lemaître Aristide  (+33) 1 69 63 60 72  
 Senellart Pascale  (+33) 1 69 63 61 96  
 Sturm Chris  (+33) 1 69 63 60 44  
 Sala Véra Giulia  (+33) 1 69 63 60 91  
 Abbarchi Marco  (+33) 1 69 63 62 26  
 Tanese Dimitrii  (+33) 1 69 63 60 91  
 Nguyen Hai Son  (+33) 1 69 63 60 42  

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Puce Contracts and projects

    Puce International Projects

      Clermont4 : Exciton-polaritons: Physics and Applications

      Reference contract : FP7-ITN-235114
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : A. V. Kavokin (Universite De Southampton),
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : The primary goal of this Network is to create a highly skilled body of young researchers capable of internationally competitive research in one of the most quickly developing areas of the modern physical science and technology. The main research objective of the CLERMONT4 network is to facilitate the exploitation of breakthroughs in polaritonics which occurred in 2006-2008. We shall focus on realisation of four prototypes of polariton devices: electrically pumped polariton lasers, micron size optical parametric oscillators, optical logic gates and cavity-based emitters of entangled photonic pairs. In order to realise these goals we have built a consortium of academic teams which have already given to Europe an enormous lead in the international competition with American and Japanese groups to realize practical polariton devices. Furthermore, we bring these academic teams together with an outstanding group of industrial partners capable of effectively driving through the translation of emerging promising new physical demonstrations into devices. (2009-2013)

      ILNACS : Nanostructures of Compound Semiconductors (Growth, properties, devices)

      Reference contract : Laboratoire International Associé (LIA) CNRS - Université de Montpellier - INSA Toulouse / Académie des Sciences de Russie - Fondation Russe pour la Recherche Fondamentale
      LPN leader(s): Frank Glas
      Main goals : Organize and develop scientific collaborations between the CNRS laboratories and the laboratories and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences based in Saint Petersburg in the domains of growth and study of the physical properties of nanostructures of compound semiconductors, and of compounds based on the latter. (2010-2013)

      CLERMONT2 : value

      Reference contract : RTN 503677
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : A. V. Kavokin (Universite De Southampton)
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : value (2003-2007)

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    Puce ANR non thématiques

      Quandyde : QUANtum DYnamics of exciton-polariton conDEnsates

      Reference contract : ANR-11-BS10-001
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : J. Bloch (LPN ), G. Malpuech (LASMEA ), C. Ciuti (MPQ ), A. Bramati (LKB )
      Main goals : The four partners involved in the project propose to study the fundamental properties of polariton quantum fluids in resonators of different dimensionalities and different geometries. Moreover thanks to the high quality of GaAs based samples recently shown at LPN, they will develop innovative polariton devices to explore this physics. - The first task of Quandyde will be the study of propagating polariton condensates and their topological excitations. It is now feasible to observe the generation of solitons, of vortex lattices and explore quantum turbulence effects. Using samples with controlled disorder, we will explore the effect of disorder in the propagation –transition between localised and superfluid phases. - The second task of Quandyde will be the physics of new polaritonic devices. We want to observe the normal and chaotic Josephson oscillations, to build the first polariton interferometer, and to demonstrate polariton Bloch oscillations. Additionally, we plan to develop both from the theoretical and experimental point of view, the study of chains of micropillar cavities, a new paradigm for the physics of non-equilibrium Bose-Hubbard phases. (2011-2015)

      PEROCAI : Perovskite in microcavities

      Reference contract : ANR Blanc 2010 (ANR-10-04)
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : E. Deleporte (LPQM ), J. Even (FOTON ), P. Audebert (PPSM )
      LPN leader(s): Karine Gauthron, Jacqueline Bloch, Sophie Bouchoule
      Main goals : Vertical microcavities in the light-mater strong coupling are intensively studied due to the interest in coherent and stimulated effects in such systems as polariton lasing and Bose Einstein condensation in the solid phase. These effects have been recently demonstrated in “classical” inorganic semiconductors and most of the physics is done at low temperature. Until now, attempts to study these physical processes with molecular materials have failed.In this draft, we propose to use organic-inorganic molecular quantum wells inside a vertical microcavity to demonstrate stimulated effects at room temperature. The molecular quantum wells used in this study belong to the perovskite family. Because the strong coupling regime in vertical microcavities containing perovskites has been achieved at room temperature and because of the wide tunability of its exciton perovskite material is a good candidate to realize vertical microcavities and study these polaritonic effects. The physics of these new polaritons is unexplored. Therefore, polariton relaxation efficiency and dynamics will be studied. Finally, experiments designed to observe stimulated effects on these polariton states will be performed. Partners : LPQM-ENS Cachan (project leader), LPN, PPSM-ENS Cachan, FOTON-INSA Rennes (2010-2014)

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    Puce ANR PNANO

      GEMINI : GEneration of quantum correlated photons from multiple Microcavities and photoNIc microstructures

      Reference contract : ANR-07-NANO-005-01
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : J. Tignon (LPA ), A. Bramati (LKB ), C. Ciuti (MPQ )
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : Nous proposons de développer une source de faisceaux quantiquement corrélés basée sur des microcavités à semiconducteurs. Nous avons récemment démontré, dans une microcavité triple maintenue à 10 K, l'émission de faisceaux jumeaux, tels que la différence entre l’intensité du signal et celle du complémentaire est 6 % inférieure à la limite quantique standard. Le premier volet de ce projet est consacré à la poursuite de ces expériences pionnières d'optique quantique dans les semiconducteurs: l’objectif est d'obtenir, à basse température et sous pompage optique, des paires de photons beaucoup plus fortement corrélées et de démontrer l'émission de paires de photons intriqués. Un couplage constant avec la modélisation théorique permettra de réaliser les structures à microcavité optimales. Dans un deuxième volet, nous orienterons nos efforts vers des conditions de fonctionnement plus favorables aux applications. Il s’agit de démontrer l’émission de paires de photons et les corrélations quantiques à plus haute température. Enfin nous réaliserons de nouvelles structures pour l’émission de photons corrélés quantiquement sous injection électrique, objectif à ce jour jamais atteint dans aucun système alternatif. (2008-2010)

      SCOP : Strong COupling in Plasmonics

      Reference contract : ANR PNANO
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : J. Bellessa (LPMCN ),
      LPN leader(s): Aristide Lemaître
      Main goals : value (2008-2010)

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    Puce Incentive Projects of the Ministry of Research

      Polaritons Intriqués : Sources de photons intriqués dans les fils et les piliers photoniques de semi-conducteurs en couplage fort lumière-matière

      Reference contract : ACN
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : C. Ciuti (MPQ )
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch, Izo Abram
      Main goals : Ce projet vise à la réalisation de micro-sources, intégrées et efficaces, de photons intriqués pour la cryptographie quantique (2004-2007)

      Polariton : Etude des phénomènes de relaxation des polaritons dans les microcavités dopées er les micropiliers : vers la condensation de Bose des polaritons de cavité.

      Reference contract : ACN
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : B. Gill (GES)
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : Etude de microcavités en régime de couplage fort contenant un gaz d'électrons (2002-2005)

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    Puce Other National Projects

      BOSEFLOW1D : Bose condensate fluids in 1D systems: microcavity polaritons and ultracold atoms

      Reference contract : Chaire Junior RTRA 2011-020T-BOSEFLOW1D
      LPN leader(s): Alberto Amo
      Main goals : Quantum gases in reduced dimensionalities present new fundamental properties which strongly depart from their 3D counterparts. 1D systems are very attractive due to the fact that propagation properties are still present while interesting phenomena related to localisation-delocalisation, role of interactions and fermionisation effects in a boson condensate can be studied in a controlled environment. So far, much of the experimental and theoretical efforts in this direction have been undertaken in ultracold atomic condensates, which constitute text-book examples of bosonic condensates in equilibrium. While still much physics remain to be unveiled in this system, polariton boson condensates in semiconductor microcavities provide an excellent platform in the solid state for the study of a rich variety of quantum fluid effects in confined geometries. The main goal of this project is the study of the propagation, superfluidity and excitations in polariton condensates in 1D. These studies will be performed in collaboration with an experimental group working on 1D atomic Bose-Einstein condensates, profiting from mutual exchanges to understand the specifities of each system. (2011-2014)

      PICORRE : Corrélations de photons à l’échelle picroseconde.

      Reference contract : RTRA
      LPN leader(s): Pascale Senellart
      Main goals : Mise en place d’un banc de corrélations de photons de résolution picoseconde. (2009-2011)

      MOSKITO : Peroskite Molecules in microcavities

      Reference contract : RTRA Triangle de la Physique (AO 2008-1)
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : E. Deleporte (LPQM )
      LPN leader(s): Sophie Bouchoule, Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : The main objective of this project is to develop optical microcavities based on perovskite molecules emitting in the visible and UV range, and to carry out spectroscopic studies of these materials (with and W:O optical microcavity). The unique properties of the perovskite material (self-assembled as an organic quantum well) will be explored thanks to structural and spectroscopic cheracaterizations, in order to get a better understanding of the physics of these structures : nature of excitonic emission, phonon-exciton interaction, non-linearities in polaritonic emission, polaritonic laser emission … Duration : 24 months – Partners : LPQM-ENS Cachan (project leader), LPN. LPN will contribute in assembling the microcavity and in performing structural and time-resolved spectroscopic studies of the organic material (2008-2009)

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    Puce Cnano contrat

      Sophiie2 : Source of entangled photons electrically injected 2nd part

      Reference contract :
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : J. Tignon (LPA )
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : Notre objectif est le développement d’un micro-dispositif optique à base de microcavités semiconductrices, générant des photons jumeaux intriqués et potentiellement injecté électriquement. Le LPN, le LPA, le LKB et le laboratoire MPQ, pionniers dans ce domaine, travaillent sur ce projet dans le cadre du projet ANR-pNano GEMINI : les non-linéarités géantes des microcavités à semiconducteurs sont utilisées pour générer des photons paramétriques. Nous avons obtenu la première mise en évidence de corrélations quantiques entre les photons émis et tout récemment un fonctionnement à température ambiante de notre dispositif. L’oscillation paramétrique dans des piliers de taille micrométrique a également été observée cette dernière année. Nous travaillons désormais à l’amélioration des corrélations quantiques pour atteindre les niveaux requis par les protocoles de cryptographie quantique, au développement d’une micro-source pompée électriquement ainsi qu’à une évolution vers les longueurs d’onde des télécommunications. (2009-2011)

      SoPhiie : Source of entangled photons electrically injected

      Reference contract : C'Nano Ile de France
      Coordinator, Partner(s) : A. Bramati (LKB )
      LPN leader(s): Jacqueline Bloch
      Main goals : Nous proposons de développer un micro-dispositif optique à semi-conducteurs qui pourra générer efficacement et de façon contrôlée des photons jumeaux intriqués et sera potentiellement intégrable et injectée électriquement. Il s’agit de microcavités à base de semiconducteurs III-V contenant des puits quantiques. Deux pistes seront explorées : d’une part des microcavités gravées pour former des micropiliers et d’autres part des structures contenant trois cavités optiques couplées dont l’une sert à l’injection électrique. L’objectif de ce travail sera tout d’abord le développement technologique de ces microcavités, la caractérisation de l’interaction paramétrique, suivie de l’implémentation d’expériences d’interférences quantiques pour démontrer l’existence de corrélations quantiques entre les photons signaux et complémentaires. (2007-2007)

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Puce Internship Training proposals

PhDs


  • Quantum hydrodynamics of 1D polariton condensates

    • Start date of the proposal : 2012-01-01
    Theme : Quantum and Non-Linear Optics (OQNL)
    Contact : A. Amo , J. Bloch
    Group : Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group (GOSS)
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    A fascinating property of bosons is their ability to massively occupy a single quantum state below a critical temperature. This is known as Bose-Einstein condensation and it is at the origin of superconductivity, superfluidity, or the formation of quantized vortices. Very recently, Bose-Einstein condensation has been achieved with polaritons, a new type of quasi-particles in semiconductors. Polaritons are half-light half-matter particles arising from the strong coupling between an exciton confined in a quantum well and a photon confined in a semiconductor microcavity, and can be created and manipulated with the use of laser excitation. Thanks to their extremely light mass (10-8 times that of the hydrogen atom) polariton condensation can be achieved at high temperatures, ranging from few kelvins to room temperature, compared to 10-7 K for the case of atomic condensates. Our group has recently demonstrated polariton condensation in GaAs/GaAlAs semiconductor microcavities, and by engineering the shape of the cavities we have obtained condensation in 2D (planar microcavities), 1D (microwires) and 0D (micropillars). After these first demonstrations (ref. 1-2) we are now exploring original physical properties of condensates in 1D microwires. In this internship/PhD thesis, we propose the experimental study of the propagation of 1D polariton condensates. When encountering a potential barrier in their flowpath, the condensates develop quantized excitations. These excitations are the quantum analogue of the waves and whirlpools found in a flow of water passing around an obstacle. For instance, we plan to study the spontaneous formation of solitons (notch like density excitations –see figure for the case of a 2D polariton fluid), and the partial transmission and reflection of the condensate through the obstacle and other purely quantum mechanical process. This work, at the front edge of international research, will be developed in collaboration with theory groups from Lasmea (Clermont-Ferrand) and Orsay, and with experimental groups from Institut d’Optique working on related subjects in atomic condensates.

  • Manipulation of Bose condensates in photonic circuits

    • Start date of the proposal : 2012-01-01
    Theme : Quantum and Non-Linear Optics (OQNL)
    Contact : J. Bloch , A. Amo
    Group : Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group (GOSS)
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    Semiconductor microcavities are a model system for the investigation of the physics of Bose condensates. Indeed cavity polaritons, light-matter mixed particles resulting from the strong coupling regime between quantum well excitons and the optical mode of a cavity, obey to bosonic statistics and can massively occupy a single quantum. Because of the very small effective mass of cavity polaritons as compared for instance to atoms, their condensation can take place at much higher temperatures (several tens of K as compared to 0.1 µK). Moreover it is possible to use semiconductor technology to fully control and engineer the potential landscape in which polariton condensates are generated. Our group at Laboratory of Photonic and Nanostructures (LPN-CNRS) has recently reported the generation of polariton condensates, formed by a macroscopic number of coherent polaritons, and showed that they can propagate over macroscopic distances (superior to 1 mm) while preserving their spontaneous spatial coherence. These results put our group at the forefront of research at an international level for furhter investigation of polariton condensates and for the development of new devices based on the propagation and manipulation of theses quantum states The main goal of this PhD thesis is to make use of the technological facilities available at LPN (electron beam lithography and etching) to design and study optical circuits in which polariton condensates are manipulated via optical or electrical means. We will design and fabricate the first polariton interferometer, realize a polariton transistor and implement other theoretical proposals for innovant polaritonic devices. The work will be driven in close collaboration with the theoretician group of G. Malpuech in LASMEA (Clermont Ferrant). The work will also benefit from collaborations within a French ANR project and a European network in which our group is partner.
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Puce Past and current Internship Training

Post-docs


  • Cavity polaritons in perovskite semiconductors

    • H.-S. Nguyen-(On going since 2011-11-01)
    Theme : Quantum and Non-Linear Optics (OQNL)
                Optical Analysis (ANOP)
    Contact : J. Bloch
    Group : Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group (GOSS)
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    Cavity polaritons in inorganic semiconductors are currently widely investigated, in particular in our group, because of their unique non-linear properties. Parametric oscillation with ultra-low threshold and polariton lasing (an analoguous to Bose condensation) is achieved. This opens a vast research field, both from the fundamental and applied point of view. In most of the cases, these experiments are performed at cryogenic temperatures. Recently the strong coupling regime has been demonstrated in semiconductor microcavities containing hybrid organic/inorganic active layer, based on perovskites. This new material presents very robust excitons enabling the observation of the strong coupling regime at room temperature and with record Rabi splitting. Within an ANR project in collaboration with the group of E. Deleporte at LPQM, ENS Cachan, we are currently exploring the potential of this new material.

  • Photon pair generation with semiconductor microcavities

    • L. Ferrier-(2008-12-01 / 2010-11-30)
    Theme : Quantum and Non-Linear Optics (OQNL)
    Contact : J. Bloch
    Group : Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group (GOSS)
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    A 2 year post-doctoral position is available at Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures (LPN) in Marcoussis, France. The position is related to a project dedicated to the generation of quantum correlated photons from multiple cavities and photonic microstructures. We want to take advantage of the strong excitonic non linearities in semiconductor microcavities containing quantum wells to implement a solid-state source of quantum correlated photons.

PhDs


  • Propagation of polariton condensates in GaAs microcavities

    • D. Tanese-(On going since 2010-09-01)
    Theme : Quantum and Non-Linear Optics (OQNL)
    Contact : J. Bloch
    Group : Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group (GOSS)
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    Scientific context: A fascinating property of bosons is their ability to spontaneously accumulate in a single quantum state, below a certain critical temperature. This so-called Bose condensation is at the origin of superconductivity, superfluidity of liquid helium and has also been observed with ultra-cold atoms. Recent studies have shown that semiconductor microcavities are a model solid-state system where Bose condensates can be obtained at temperatures as high as room temperatures. In these microcavities, the quasi-particules exhibiting bosonic behaviour are polaritons (quantum well excitons strongly coupled to the cavity optical mode). Beside their interest for fundamental studies, these polariton condensates could also provide low threshold sources of coherent light. Our group has recently demonstrated polariton condensation in GaAs/GaAlAs based microcavities . The advantage of this semiconductor material over other materials is that its growth and technological processes are very well controlled. This opens the unique possibilities for the development of innovative cavity geometries (single or coupled micropillars, photonic rings etc…) to investigate this new physics. Now that polariton Bose condensation has been clearly established, we are exploring the physics of these condensates, for instance superfluid propagation, behaviour under strong magnetic field or non-linear oscillations occurring when coupling two condensates.The thesis is part of these studies, led in collaboration with several theoretician groups, within the Clermont4 European network.

  • Spontaneous formation of polariton condensates in GaAs based microcavities

    • E. Wertz-(2007-10-01 / 2010-12-31)
    Theme : Quantum and Non-Linear Optics (OQNL)
    Contact : J. Bloch
    Group : Optic of Semiconductor nanoStructures Group (GOSS)
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Last update :
27/01/2012

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