Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Small-footprint, low-power, and reprogrammable arrays of coupled coherent emitters are highly sought in modern nanophotonics. Among existing solutions, only inorganic semiconductor microcavities operating in a strong light-matter coupling regime exhibit controlled on-chip interaction between individual coherent states, predominantly at cryogenic temperatures. Here, we demonstrate electrically controlled in-plane interaction between optically reconfigurable spatially separated lasing states, operating at room temperature in the weak light-matter coupling regime. An organic liquid crystal-filled microcavity is introduced as a new material platform where a spatially extended coherent lasing state, or "supermode", appears due to the blueshift-induced near-field transverse coupling between distinct spatially pumped states. We demonstrate a wide-range microscale control of supermode near- and far-field with on-chip phase-locking tuning functionality. We realize electrical control over the interaction strength between lasing states and corresponding mutual coherence going beyond nearest neighbours, and a spin-selective directional coupling regime by using a photonic analogue of the Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction.
Source: Nature Communications
Institutions: University of Southampton, University of Iceland, University of Warsaw, Durham University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Institut Universitaire de France, Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, National Research Council
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
OpenAlex ID: W4417097158