Scientists Trap Photons in Tiny Gutters to Create Quantum Gas

Researchers at the University of Bonn, Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics, and the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau have successfully created a one-dimensional photon gas, a state of matter that behaves like a quantum gas. Led by Prof. Dr. Georg von Freymann and Dr. Frank Vewinger, the team used a high-resolution structuring method to create microscopic protrusions on the reflective surfaces of a tiny container filled with a dye solution.

This allowed them to trap photons in one or two dimensions and condense them. The study’s lead author, Kirankumar Karkihalli Umesh, compared the protrusions to “a type of gutter, but for light.” The research has implications for the study of quantum optical effects and could potentially open up new areas of application. The European Research Council and the German Research Foundation funded the study, which was published in Nature Physics.

In a groundbreaking study, scientists from the University of Bonn and the Rhine-Westphalia Technical University (RPTU) have successfully created a one-dimensional photon gas, achieving a significant milestone in quantum optics. This innovative experiment demonstrates the possibility of manipulating light particles to exhibit unique properties, similar to those observed in condensed matter systems.

To create this extraordinary state of matter, the researchers confined and cooled a large number of photons in a tiny container using a laser-excited dye solution. By structuring the reflective surfaces of the container with microscopic protrusions, they were able to trap the photons in one or two dimensions, effectively creating a “gutter” for light.

The team discovered that by modifying the surface structure, they could influence the dimensionality of the photon gas. In two-dimensional systems, condensation occurs at a precise temperature limit, similar to water freezing at 0°C. However, in one-dimensional systems, thermal fluctuations destroy the order, causing the phase transition to become “smeared out.” This phenomenon is characteristic of degenerate quantum gases.

The researchers were able to demonstrate that one-dimensional photon gases do not have a precise condensation point, opening up new avenues for investigating phenomena at the transition between different dimensionalities. By making subtle changes to the polymer structures, they can now explore these effects in unprecedented detail.

This fundamental research has the potential to unlock new applications for quantum optical effects, although its practical implications are still being explored. The study was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of Collaborative Research Centre TRR 185.

The findings have been published in Nature Physics, highlighting the innovative spirit of collaboration between researchers from the Institute of Applied Physics at the University of Bonn, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM), and the RPTU.