Supersolid light in a semiconductor microcavity

Supersolidity - simultaneous superfluid flow and crystalline order - has been realized in quantum atomic systems but remains unexplored in purely photonic platforms operating at weak light-matter coupling. We predict a supersolid phase of light in a plasma-filled optical microcavity, where photons acquire effective mass and interact via nonlocal, plasma-mediated nonlinearities. By deriving a Gross-Pitaevskii equation with a tunable photon-photon interaction kernel, we show that under coherent driving the cavity light field can spontaneously crystallize into a supersolid lattice via modulational instability. Crucially, this supersolid arises from a weak photon-electron coupling enabled by virtual electronic transitions, and it does not require hybrid polariton formation. Using doped semiconductor microcavities, we identify feasible conditions (electron densities $\sim 10^{10}- 10^{11}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ and optical intensities $\sim 10^{2}-10^{4}~\mathrm{W/cm}^{2}$) for experimental realization. This work establishes plasmonic cavities as a platform for correlated photonic matter with emergent quantum order.

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Publication Details

Journal
Physical review. A/Physical review, A
Published
2026-02-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/mqmz-nwqj
Primary Topic
Strong Light-Matter Interactions
Type
article
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article

Supersolid light in a semiconductor microcavity

Hugo Terças, J. T. Mendonça
Physical review. A/Physical review, A
Strong Light-Matter Interactions
article

Supersolid light in a semiconductor microcavity

Hugo Terças, J. T. Mendonça
article en

Abstract

Supersolidity - simultaneous superfluid flow and crystalline order - has been realized in quantum atomic systems but remains unexplored in purely photonic platforms operating at weak light-matter coupling. We predict a supersolid phase of light in a plasma-filled optical microcavity, where photons acquire effective mass and interact via nonlocal, plasma-mediated nonlinearities. By deriving a Gross-Pitaevskii equation with a tunable photon-photon interaction kernel, we show that under coherent driving the cavity light field can spontaneously crystallize into a supersolid lattice via modulational instability. Crucially, this supersolid arises from a weak photon-electron coupling enabled by virtual electronic transitions, and it does not require hybrid polariton formation. Using doped semiconductor microcavities, we identify feasible conditions (electron densities $\sim 10^{10}- 10^{11}~\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ and optical intensities $\sim 10^{2}-10^{4}~\mathrm{W/cm}^{2}$) for experimental realization. This work establishes plasmonic cavities as a platform for correlated photonic matter with emergent quantum order.

Physical review. A/Physical review, AVol. 113(3)
Universidade Politécnica de Lisboa (PT), Instituto Superior Técnico (PT)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 43%
Strong Light-Matter Interactions
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