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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
06:42
Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
Published on: June 8, 2018
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Nonlocal Coherent Optical Nonlinearities of a Macroscopic Quantum System.
Albert Liu1, Eric W Martin2, Jiaqi Hu2
1Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Division, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|November 17, 2025
Summary
We demonstrated nonlocal optical nonlinearities in semiconductor microcavities, challenging the traditional view of local optical responses. These quantum effects arise from the large spatial extent of exciton-polariton wave functions.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state physics
- Quantum optics
- Materials science
Background:
- Optical responses in solids are generally considered spatially local.
- The spatial locality of optical responses in macroscopic quantum systems remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate nonlocal optical nonlinearities in semiconductor microcavities.
- To explore the quantum nature of these nonlocal responses.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multidimensional coherent spectroscopy.
- Operated at the optical diffraction limit to probe spatial properties.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the existence of nonlocal optical nonlinearities.
- Established that these responses are coherent and quantum mechanical.
- Linked the nonlocality to the macroscopic length scale of exciton-polaritons.
Conclusions:
- Nonlocal optical responses can exist in macroscopic quantum systems.
- Exciton-polariton wave function delocalization is key to these nonlocal phenomena.
- Challenges the conventional understanding of optical response locality in solids.
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