Nonlinear and Quantum properties of polaritons in photonic lattices

Recent advances in semiconductor nano-technology have led to a new generation of robust controllable structures where manipulation of coupling between light and matter can be performed on a sub-micrometer scale. In these structures novel quasiparticles – polaritons – which are a mixture of light and matter (excitons) can be created. Polaritons have a very small effective mass, and thus may condense in a single quantum state at high temperatures. This macroscopically occupied state has properties similar to those of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. In addition, while photons propagating in free space do not interact, the matter component in the polariton wavefunction enables strong inter-particle interactions. This nonlinearity gives rise to rich phenomena ranging from superfluidity of light, ultra-low power self-localised wavepackets (solitons) to generation of single photons and entangled photon pairs. This project concerns the experimental investigation of polaritons in lattices of coupled zero-dimensional microresonators. A particular emphasis on this project will be placed on the study of topologically protected edge states and Bose-Einstein condensates in these lattices. You will explore how the effects of gain and loss, lattice geometry and giant optical nonlinearity influence the polariton topology and coherence. Overall, polariton physics in microcavities is very topical research which may find future applications in quantum optical computation and simulations.   

A successful candidate will join a well-funded and very active research group with a world-wide reputation for excellence (https://ldsd.group.shef.ac.uk/research/polaritons/). The group possesses a wide range of modern equipment to conduct advanced quantum optics experiments. During the project the student will also obtain full access to a state-of-the-art clean room facilities available in Sheffield.

Please send formal as well as informal enquiries about the position to Dr Dmitriy Krizhanovskii ([Email Address Removed]).