Observation of a supersolid phase in a spin-orbit coupled exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In Bose-Einstein condensates, spin-orbit coupling (SOC) produces supersolidity. It is a peculiar state of matter, which, in addition to the superfluid behavior, shows periodic density modulation typical for crystals. Here, we report the fabrication of an original type of optical microcavity, allowing the achievement of room-temperature supersolidity for a quantum fluid of light. The microcavity is filled with a nematic liquid crystal (LC) and two layers of the organic polymer methyl-substituted ladder-type poly( p -phenylene) (MeLPPP) hosting exciton resonances. We demonstrate exciton-polariton condensation in the two distinct degenerate minima of the dispersion created by the LC-induced Rashba-Dresselhaus SOC. The condensate real-space distribution shows density stripes located randomly from one condensate realization to another despite the presence of a random disorder potential. This demonstrates the immunity of stripes against disorder and the spontaneous breaking of translational invariance. We also report the random appearance of vortices, another feature of superfluids.
Source: Science Advances
Authors: Marcin Muszyński, Pavel Kokhanchik, Rafał Mirek, Darius Urbonas, Pietro Tassan, Piotr Kapuściński, Przemysław Oliwa, Ioannis Georgakilas, Thilo Stöferle, Rainer F. Mahrt, Michael Forster, Ullrich Scherf, Dmitriy Dovzhenko, Rafał Mazur, Przemysław Morawiak, Wiktor Piecek, Przemysław Kula, Barbara Piętka, Dmitry Solnyshkov, Guillaume Malpuech, Jacek Szczytko
Institutions: University of Warsaw, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pascal, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont Auvergne INP, IBM Research - Zurich, University of Wuppertal, University of Southampton, Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Institut Universitaire de France
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
OpenAlex ID: W7222462800