Non-critical slowing down of photonic condensation

TL;DR

This paper studies how a photonic gas exhibits unusually slow equilibration times both near and far from phase transitions, explained by competition among cavity modes for molecular access.

Contribution

It reveals non-critical slowing down in photonic condensation and provides a quantitative model for this phenomenon.

Findings

Critical slowing down observed near phase transitions

Non-critical slowing down occurs far from phase transitions

Competition among cavity modes explains slow equilibration

Abstract

We investigate the response of a photonic gas interacting with a reservoir of pumped dye-molecules to quenches in the pump power. In addition to the expected dramatic critical slowing down of the equilibration time around phase transitions we find extremely slow equilibration even far away from phase transitions. This non-critical slowing down can be accounted for quantitatively by fierce competition among cavity modes for access to the molecular environment, and we provide a quantitative explanation for this non-critical slowing down.