In-situ tunable, room-temperature polariton condensation in individual states of a 1D topological lattice

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates in-situ tunable, room-temperature polariton condensation in a 1D topological lattice, enabling control over topological states and bandgap engineering for quantum simulation applications.

Contribution

It introduces a highly tunable organic polymer-based polariton platform for studying topological states and quantum fluids at room temperature.

Findings

Achieved selective polariton condensation into different topological states.

Engineered bandgap and edge state localization through lattice interactions.

Validated the platform's accuracy with first-principles calculations.

Abstract

In recent years, exciton-polariton microcavity arrays have emerged as a promising semiconductor-based platform for analogue simulations of model Hamiltonians and topological effects. To realize experimentally a variety of Hamiltonians and change their parameters, it is essential to have highly tunable and easily engineerable structures. Here, we demonstrate in-situ tunable, room-temperature polariton condensation in individual states of a one-dimensional topological lattice, by utilizing an open-cavity configuration with an organic polymer layer. Angle-resolved photoluminescence measurements reveal the band structure of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain, comprised of S-like and P-like bands, along with the appearance of discrete topological edge states with distinct symmetries. Changing the cavity length in combination with vibron-mediated relaxation in the polymer allows us to achieve selective polariton condensation into different states of the band structure, unveiled by nonlinear emission, linewidth narrowing, energy blue-shift and extended macroscopic coherence. Furthermore, we engineer the bandgap and the edge state localization by adjusting the interaction between adjacent lattice sites. Comparison to first-principles calculations showcases the precision of the polariton simulator. These results demonstrate the versatility and accuracy of the platform for the investigation of quantum fluids in complex potential landscapes and topological effects at room temperature.