Single-Shot Flow Spectroscopy of a Polariton Condensate: Kibble-Zurek and Kolmogorov-Like Scaling

TL;DR

This study demonstrates single-shot measurements of vortex formation and turbulence in a room-temperature polariton condensate, revealing Kibble-Zurek scaling and Kolmogorov-like turbulence spectra in quantum fluids of light.

Contribution

It provides the first single-shot phase and flow measurements in polariton condensates, linking defect formation to universal scaling laws and turbulence phenomena.

Findings

Vortex number scales with pump power following Kibble-Zurek predictions.

Observation of Kolmogorov-like energy spectra indicating turbulence.

Random vortex circulation and positions consistent with stochastic defect formation.

Abstract

Quantized vortices are fundamental topological excitations of quantum fluids. We report single-shot interferometric measurements of spontaneous vortex nucleation in a room-temperature organic exciton-polariton condensate. From hundreds of independent realizations we find random vortex-core positions and unbiased circulation, consistent with intrinsically stochastic, unpinned defect formation. The mean vortex number scales with pump power above threshold with an exponent consistent with Kibble-Zurek freeze-out in a driven-dissipative condensate. Using reconstructed phase maps we obtain single-shot flow fields, compute the incompressible component, and extract kinetic-energy spectra. Vortex-containing realizations develop a robust Kolmogorov-like segment with Einc(k) proportional to k^(-5/3) over a finite k range, indicating the onset of turbulent spectral scaling in a quantum fluid of light. These results establish single-shot access to phase and flow as a direct route to quantifying stochastic defect formation and emerging turbulence in polariton condensates.