News and outreach
December 2024
OECS19 fast approaching
The nineteenth edition of the International Conference on Optics of Excitons in Confined Systems (OECS 19) is set to be held in Warsaw, Poland, from 14th to 18th July 2025. OECS, a conference convened every two years, serves as a platform for researchers engaged in the study of optical excitations in semiconductors, focusing particularly on excitons, polaritons, and collective excitations across various materials and photonic nanostructures. We extend our invitation for you to join us in Warsaw to explore the cutting-edge developments in this field of research.
More information at https://www.oecs19.pl/
4th of December 2024
New work out on FDTD numerical methods for polaritons
New work from Tim Liew's group at Nanyang Technological University spearpointed by Kévin DINI. One of the strongest techniques to numerically model electromagnetic fields is to solve Maxwell equations using finite-difference-time-domain algorithm (FDTD). Here, we develop a new FDTD framework that solves Maxwell-Bloch equations, describing the electromagnetic field, material polarization and charge carrier dynamics, and ultimately exciton-polariton formation. Using this algorithm we model accurately some fundamental polariton behaviours and use it to design an analogue saltatory conduction in a polariton neuron.
October 2024
Work visit to NTU Singapore
Back to the past 🏎. I (Helgi) just completed a fantastic work trip to Singapore meeting my friends Tim Liew and Tania Espinosa-Ortega again at Nanyang Technological University Singapore after many years. I have sure missed many of the fantastic things Singapore offered my during my PhD years there. Especially the affordable hawker centers 🍲 🍢 🥘. It was a privilege to get to see and learn about all the many interesting projects Tim's group members are working on in polaritonics, especially Kévin DINI. In particular, using polaritons as optical annealing machines to obtain fast and accurate answers to difficult computational problems is one of the topics we might pursue further 💡 ⚙. See more at https://lnkd.in/euNP8RpQ
I also had a great meeting with Son Tung (Tony) Ha and Daniel Leykam at the A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research where I introduced my work and got to learn about their interesting research in meta- and nanophotonics towards development of hybrid light-matter neuromorphic technologies. Many thanks to them for having me!
30th of September 2024
A successful HPM conference
A fantastic conference in the beautiful Aegean sea on Syros island in Greece has just completed with many great speakers dedicated to polaritonics, solid state light emitting technologies, quantum optics, and much more. https://hpm2024.org/
We presented our recent results on exciting artificial molecular complexes using polariton condensates bound in the continuum. Link to presentation.
21st of September 2024
Public seminar at "28 Festiwal Nauki" at University of Warsaw
Helgi Sigurðsson delivered a public seminar at FUW at University of Warsaw on the phenomenon of synchronization between polariton quantum fluids.
Abstract: Synchronization is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature where many entities interact with each other. It appears in the collective flashing lights of hundreds of fireflies, the singing between tree frogs, audience clapping, and even in the quantum world. In this lecture I will tell you how photons and electrons can behave like oscillating pendulums, and display synchronization even in the microscopic quantum world.
September 2024
Visit to CNR Nanotec in Lecce
I had the pleasure of working in CNR Nanotec Lecce as a part of my Polonez Bis secondment. There I met Dr, Daniele Sanvitto and his wonderful group the Advanced Photonics Laboratory. We shared our common research goals in quantum light-matter physics and planned some future steps to help bring polariton physics closer to industry and applied technologies.
10th - 14th of September 2024
Terametanano conference completed
The International Conference on Terahertz Emission, Metamaterials and Nanophotonics, organized by Antonio Maffucci , University of Cassino, and Mikhail Portnoi, at University of Exeter was held this year in beautiful Gaeta of Italy. Helgi Sigurðsson gave a talk on his recent research on BIC polaritons in subwavelength grated waveguides.
6th-10th of August 2024
The start of PEPS in Reykjavík
The 1st International Conference on Physics of Excitons and Polaritons in Semiconductors, organized by Helgi Sigurðsson and Vinod Menon (CUNY), was successfully held in Reykjavík, Iceland, August 2024. Around 110 participants joined from around the world to discuss their research in light-matter physics.
10th of July 2024
Zuzanna and Maciej successfully complete their thesis!
Congratulations to Zuzanna Werner and Maciej Zaremba for having completed their BSc and MSc projects at FUW!
Zuzanna Werner's BSc thesis: Chiral ballistic polariton laser
Maciej Zaremba's MSc thesis: Room Temperature Optically Trapped Exciton Polariton Condensates in the Perovskite Microcavities
15th-21nd of June 2024
52nd Jaszowiec conference completed
The whole Liquid Light Group attended the 52nd Jaszowiec conference in Szczyrk in Poland! Andrzej Frączak, Eryk Imos, Zuzanna Werner and Maciej Zaremba represented University of Warsaw and Valtýr Kári Daníelsson and Luciano Ricco came from University of Iceland. Fantastic work from everyone and and great poster sessions!
Special congratulations to Andrzej who won the School Quiz and Zuzanna who received the Best Poster award!
7th of June 2024
2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology
"On June 7, 2024, the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). According to the proclamation, this year-long, worldwide initiative will 'be observed through activities at all levels aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of quantum science and applications'."
https://www.aps.org/about/news/2024/06/united-nations-2025-iyq
4th of June 2024
Seminar at Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw
Helgi Sigurðsson delivered a public seminar on "Interaction Networks of Liquid Light" at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. The seminar covered both past and present research while giving a broad introduction to strong light-matter physics in semiconductor microcavities. Huge thank to dr Aleksandra Siklitskaya who organized the whole event!
23rd of March 2024
Public seminar at "Dzień Odkrywców Kampusu Ochota" at University of Warsaw
Helgi Sigurðsson delivered a public seminar at FUW at University of Warsaw on the phenomenon of synchronization between polariton quantum fluids.
Abstract: Synchronization is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature where many entities interact with each other. It appears in the collective flashing lights of hundreds of fireflies, the singing between tree frogs, audience clapping, and even in the quantum world. In this lecture I will tell you how photons and electrons can behave like oscillating pendulums, and display synchronization even in the microscopic quantum world.
12th of March 2024
2nd of February 2024
Seminar on the 2023 Nobel prize in physics
Helgi Sigurðsson was invited to deliver a seminar at University of Iceland on the 2023 Nobel prize in physics, awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier "for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter". A copy of the presentation can be found here.
4th of January 2024
Quantum droplets of BIC polaritons hybridize
We have just published new exciting work titled "Reconfigurable quantum fluid molecules of bound states in the continuum" in Nature Physics. The work, spearpointed by Antonio Gianfrate and led by Danielle Sanvitto at CNR Nanotec in Lecce, Italy, demonstrated that new a new form of polariton quantum fluids based on bound states in the continuum in semiconductor photonic gratings can hybridize evanescently to form macroscopic complexes such as chains and artificial molecules. The findings were supported by a new Dirac-polariton theory developed between Helgi Sigurðsson (University of Warsaw and University Iceland), Hai Chau Nguyen (University of Siegen, Germany), and Hai Son Nguyen (Univ Lyon, France).
The advantage of the platform is that the artificial quantum complexes can be all-optically programmed yet they retain very high lifetimes because of their protection from the continuum. This could lead to a new venture into optically programmable large-scale quantum fluids defined by unprecedented coherence scales and stability for structured nonlinear lasing and polartion-based simulation of complex systems.
Accessible e-version of the article
Research Briefing
Phys.Org news article
Faculty of Physics - University of Warsaw
6th of December 2023
Polonez Bis Kick-off meeting in Kraków
Third POLONEZ BIS Kick-off meeting took place in Kraków (30.11 - 1.12) where I had the pleasure of meeting other Polonez-Bis fellows from all sorts of science.
The focus of the meeting was on career development, public outreach, and data management. It is more important than ever that we share scientific findings and knowledge to the world in a responsible open-access fashion so that other might benefit from the work.
Huge thanks to the organisers for making this wonderful event possible in the beautiful city of Kraków with lots of snow and Christmas decorations!
11th of October 2023
Spin-control over polariton coupling
A collaborative effort with University of Southampton on a project titled Next-nearest-neighbor coupling with spinor polariton condensates has just been published in Physical Review B!
Abstract:
We report on experimental observation of next-nearest-neighbor coupling between ballistically expanding spinor exciton-polariton condensates in a planar semiconductor microcavity. All-optical control over the coupling strength between neighboring condensates is demonstrated through distance-periodic pseudospin screening of their ballistic particle outflow due to the inherent splitting of the planar cavity transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic modes. By screening the nearest-neighbor coupling we overcome the conventional spatial coupling hierarchy between condensates. This offers a promising route toward creating unconventional nonplanar many-body Hamiltonians using networks of ballistically expanding spinor exciton-polariton condensates.
5th of October 2023
Workshop at PCS IBS in Korea Daejeon
A very successful workshop on Polaritons in Emerging Materials at PCS IBS in Daejeon in South Korea where I got the chance to present some past results on rotating polariton condensates and current research goals within the project.
Very nice to see again so many familiar faces from the community! A huge thanks to the organisers, Yong-Hoon Cho (KAIST, Korea); Timothy Liew (NTU, Singapore); and Ivan Savenko (GTIIT, China).
22nd of August 2023
Positions available
We have just opened 3 positions for Master's students (2 in theory and 1 in experiment) to come work with us and help realize the research goals of our project!
Please follow the links to the NCN website for more information.
1st of August 2023
Magnetic control over polariton dyads
Our work titled Magneto-optical induced supermode switching in quantum fluids of light has just been published in Communication Physics! A fantastic effort from the Exciton-Polariton team at FUW to bring this nice study to the public. Cover image credits go to Mateusz Król.
23rd of June 2023
51st Jaszowiec completed!
I had the pleasure of attending the 51st International School & Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, "Jaszowiec", conference held in Szczyrk, Poland, 17-23 June 2023. There I presented my findings on interacting ballistics polariton condensates, titled "Networks of Liquid Light". Extremely wonderful area to visit and a great company to discuss condensed matter and solid state physics.