QuanToPol · Quantum Topological Polaritonics

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Project objective

The recently proposed idea of topological band classification in photonic crystals has led to the prediction and observation oftopologically nontrivial photonic phases, phenomenologically similar to Quantum Hall and Quantum Spin Hall electronicphases, and to the development of a new field in physics – topological photonics. Photons at the edges of topologicallynontrivial photonic crystals are protected from backscattering and can be used for unidirectional guiding of light, which isextremely promising for optical logical device applications and for future optical computers. These ideas have recently givena new dimension to the field of polaritonics, which is the semiconductor optics equivalent of cavity quantum electrodynamics,where bound electron-hole pairs, or excitons, are strongly coupled to cavity photons to give rise to interacting quasiparticles:polaritons. Topological polaritonic states were shown to emerge in nanostructured microcavities solely from polaritonrepulsive interactions and can be controlled by optical means, contrary to the purely photonic case. In contrast to electronicand photonic topological physics, quantum topological polaritonics combines strong nonlinear and non-Hermitian quantumeffects that remain to be explored. This project will provide the fundamental theory basis for quantum topologicalpolaritonics, a new emerging field that unites topological photonics with polaritonics. The applicant, in collaboration with thehost group, will develop the geometric theory and the topological classification of polaritonic states, accounting for theirstrongly nonlinear and non-Hermitian nature. He will also apply this theory to the experimentally studied polaritonic systemswith potential impact on optical devices of the future.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITE CLERMONT AUVERGNE · CLERMONT FERRANDCoordinatorFrance

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/846353