Quantum Fluids of Light in Semiconductor Lattices

Explore the fascinating world of quantum fluids of light in semiconductor lattices in this 1 hour 15 minute colloquium talk by Jacqueline Bloch from the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (C2N) in Palaiseau. Discover how photonic resonators coupled within a lattice can imprint fascinating physical properties of condensed matter onto light, and even go beyond what exists in nature. Learn about light becoming superfluid, exhibiting spin-orbit coupling, spin Hall effect, and propagating along topologically protected edge states. Examine the influence of system openness on the physics, considering the constant leakage of photons from cavities and the need for continuous pumping to reach a steady state. Investigate how engineering the drive provides a new tool to tailor band structure and manipulate lattice topology. Delve into two recent experiments: the evidence of polariton condensates belonging to the Kardar Parisi Zhang (KPZ) universality class, and the optical addressing of topological properties of polaritons in a lattice, including Berry curvature measurement through full tomography of eigenmodes.