We study nonlinear dynamics of exciton-polaritons in an incoherently pumped semiconductor microcavity with embedded weak-contrast lattice and coupled to an exciton reservoir. We elucidate fundamental features of non-equilibrium exciton-polariton cond
ensate trapped in one-dimensional periodical potential close to zero momentum (so-called Zero-state) and to the state at the boundary of Brillouin zone ($pi$-state). Within the framework of the mean-field theory, we identify different regimes of both relaxation and oscillatory dynamics of coherent exciton-polaritons governed by superpositions of Bloch eigenstates within the periodic lattice. In particular, we theoretically demonstrate stable macroscopical oscillations, akin to nonlinear Josephson oscillations, between different spectral components of a polariton condensate in the momenta-space. We elucidate a strong influence of the dissipative effects and the feedback induced by the inhomogeneity of incoherent reservoir on the dynamics of the coherent polaritons.
We propose a novel physical mechanism for creation of long lived macroscopic exciton-photon qubits in semiconductor microcavities with embedded quantum wells in the strong couping regime. We argue that the coherence time of Rabi oscillations can be d
ramatically enhanced due to their stimulated pumping from a permanent thermal reservoir of polaritons. The polariton qubit is a superposition of lower branch (LP) and upper branch (UP) exciton-polariton states. We discuss applications of such qubits for quantum information processing, cloning and storage purposes.
The problem of photonic phase transition for the system of a two-level atomic ensemble interacting with a quantized single-mode electromagnetic field in the presence of optical collisions (OC) is considered. We have shown that for large and negative
atom-field detuning a photonic field exhibits high temperature second order phase transition to superradiant state under thermalization condition for coupled atom-light states. Such a transition can be connected with superfluid (coherent) properties of photon-like low branch (LB) polaritons. We discuss the application of metallic cylindrical waveguide for observing predicted effects.
The interaction of a two-level atomic ensemble with a quantized single mode electromagnetic field in the presence of optical collisions (OC) is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The main accent is made on achieving thermal equilibri
um for coupled atom-light states (in particular dressed states). We propose a model of atomic dressed state thermalization that accounts for the evolution of the pseudo-spin Bloch vector components and characterize the essential role of the spontaneous emission rate in the thermalization process. Our model shows that the time of thermalization of the coupled atom-light states strictly depends on the ratio of the detuning and the resonant Rabi frequency. The predicted time of thermalization is in the nanosecond domain and about ten times shorter than the natural lifetime at full optical power in our experiment. Experimentally we are investigating the interaction of the optical field with rubidium atoms in an ultra-high pressure buffer gas cell under the condition of large atom-field detuning comparable to the thermal energy in frequency units. In particular, an observed detuning dependence of the saturated lineshape is interpreted as evidence for thermal equilibrium of coupled atom-light states. A significant modification of sideband intensity weights is predicted and obtained in this case as well.
