First-order spatial coherence measurements in a thermalized two-dimensional photonic quantum gas

Tobias Damm, David Dung, Frank Vewinger, Martin Weitz () and Julian Schmitt ()
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Tobias Damm: Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn
David Dung: Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn
Frank Vewinger: Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn
Martin Weitz: Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn
Julian Schmitt: Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Bonn

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Phase transitions between different states of matter can profoundly modify the order in physical systems, with the emergence of ferromagnetic or topological order constituting important examples. Correlations allow the quantification of the degree of order and the classification of different phases. Here we report measurements of first-order spatial correlations in a harmonically trapped two-dimensional photon gas below, at and above the critical particle number for Bose–Einstein condensation, using interferometric measurements of the emission of a dye-filled optical microcavity. For the uncondensed gas, the transverse coherence decays on a length scale determined by the thermal de Broglie wavelength of the photons, which shows the expected scaling with temperature. At the onset of Bose–Einstein condensation, true long-range order emerges, and we observe quantum statistical effects as the thermal wave packets overlap. The excellent agreement with equilibrium Bose gas theory prompts microcavity photons as promising candidates for studies of critical scaling and universality in optical quantum gases.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00270-8

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