Directional Goldstone waves in polariton condensates close to equilibrium

Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 10;11(1):217. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13733-x.

Abstract

Quantum fluids of light are realized in semiconductor microcavities using exciton-polaritons, solid-state quasi-particles with a light mass and sizeable interactions. Here, we use the microscopic analogue of oceanographic techniques to measure the excitation spectrum of a thermalised polariton condensate. Increasing the fluid density, we demonstrate the transition from a free-particle parabolic dispersion to a linear, sound-like Goldstone mode characteristic of superfluids at equilibrium. Notably, we reveal the effect of an asymmetric pumping by showing that collective excitations are created with a definite direction with respect to the condensate. Furthermore, we measure the critical sound speed for polariton superfluids close to equilibrium.

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