First snapshot of exciton-polariton BEC in inorganic semiconductor

  • First snapshot of exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in an inorganic semiconductor
  • Unique opportunity to understand details of BEC without statistical averaging
  • Key to fundamental understanding of exciton-polaritons

An ANU advance provides never-before-achieved ‘snapshot’ of Bose-Einstein condensation.

Previously, observations of exciton-polaritons in a Bose-Einstein condensate were limited to statistical averaging over millions of condensation events.

‘Snapshot’ imaging of polaritons forming a condensate in a typical inorganic semiconductor was considered impossible.

Now, FLEET researchers at the Australian National University have led an international study imaging exciton-polaritons for the first time as a ‘single shot’, rather than averaging.