Shaping the topology of light with a moving Rabi-oscillating vortex

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how a moving quantum vortex in a polariton fluid exhibits complex, dynamic topological behaviors driven by Rabi oscillations, revealing new ways to shape light's topology in quantum fluids.

Contribution

It introduces the observation of a moving vortex with ultrafast spiraling and splitting behaviors in a polariton fluid, driven by Rabi oscillations and dissipation, showcasing novel topological dynamics.

Findings

Vortex undergoes ultrafast spiraling and self-splitting.

Vortex-antivortex pairs are created and annihilated.

Topological charge varies periodically with vortex dynamics.

Abstract

Quantum vortices are the analogue of classical vortices in optics, Bose-Einstein condensates, superfluids and superconductors, where they provide the elementary mode of rotation and orbital angular momentum. While they mediate important pair interactions and phase transitions in nonlinear fluids, their linear dynamics is useful for the shaping of complex light, as well as for topological entities in multi-component systems, such as full Bloch beams. Here, setting a quantum vortex into directional motion in an open-dissipative fluid of microcavity polaritons, we observe the self-splitting of the packet, leading to the trembling movement of its center of mass, whereas the vortex core undergoes ultrafast spiraling along diverging and converging circles, in a sub-picosecond precessing fashion. This singular dynamics is accompanied by vortex-antivortex pairs creation and annihilation, and a periodically changing topological charge. The spiraling and branching mechanics represent a direct manifestation of the underlying Bloch pseudospin space, whose mapping is shown to be rotating and splitting itself. Its reshaping is due to three simultaneous drives along the distinct directions of momentum and complex frequency, by means of the differential group velocities, Rabi frequency and dissipation rates, which are natural assets in coupled fields such as polaritons. This state, displaying linear momentum dressed with oscillating angular momentum, confirms the richness of multi-component and open quantum fluids and their innate potentiality to implement sophisticated and dynamical topological textures of light.