Description

Organisation/Company: CNRS

Research Field: Physics

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2)

Application Deadline: 18/05/2022 23:59 - Europe/Brussels

Location: France › PALAISEAU

Type Of Contract: Temporary

Job Status: Full-time

Hours Per Week: 35

Offer Starting Date: 01/07/2022

Eu Research Framework Programme: H2020 / ERC

Quantum fluids of light emerge in semiconductor microcavities, where light (photon) and electronic (exciton) excitations can be confined to very small volumes. The resulting high light-matter coupling gives rise to hybrid quasi-particles called polaritons. Polaritons propagate like photons but also interact with the environment through their material part. Unlike conservative systems, such as cold atoms, cavity polaritons are inherently dissipative and can therefore be used to perform quantum simulation of open systems. In addition, quantum correlations between polaritons can be imprinted directly on photons escaping from the system, creating sources of quantum light. At the heart of this research project are arrays of coupled resonators, which will be fabricated in the C2N clean room. Such cavity arrays enable the engineering of polariton dispersion and thus control of their dynamics. An important challenge will be to induce polariton-polariton interactions strong enough to generate quantum correlations between polaritons. Several ideas will be explored to obtain new cavity structures with optimized optical properties, and featuring active materials to increase interactions between polaritons. The physical properties of these synthetic materials will be probed by optical spectroscopy and by quantum optics measurements at cryogenic temperature. The quantum nature of the generated states will be revealed by measuring spatio- temporal correlations between photons escaping from microcavity networks. This will be done for different dimensions (1D, 2D), and various geometries of the network. We will be particularly interested in cavity arrays with topologically non-trivial band structure, obtained by applying an intense magnetic field to break time reversal symmetry. The platform will provide a unique opportunity to study the interaction between non-linearities, topology, and non-Hermiticity.

A postdoctoral research position (24 months with the possibility of extension) has opened up to conduct experimental research on quantum light fluids at the Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnology (C2N, Université Paris-Saclay, France), as part of the ERC ARQADIA project "Artificial Quantum Materials with Photons: N-body Physics and Topology" led by Sylvain Ravets. The overall objective of the project is to study, in arrays of coupled microcavities, the quantum properties of light. The research will be conducted within the C2N (https:// www. polaritonquantumfluid.fr) "quantum polariton fluids" team, in close collaboration with Sylvain Ravets and Jacqueline Bloch.

The C2N (Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies) is a joint research unit between Paris-Saclay University and CNRS, located in Palaiseau. Comprised of approximately 410 people, C2N research themes are photonics, nanoelectronics, materials, microsystems and nanobiofluidics. The open position is within the photonics department, in the GOSS research group, under the supervision of Sylvain Ravets (researcher at CNRS) and in close collaboration with Jacqueline Bloch (research director at CNRS).

Eligibility criteria

The recruited postdoctoral researcher will be involved in the design and manufacturing of samples, the experimental study of the polariton out-of- equilibrium dynamics, as well as the theoretical modeling of experiments through simulations. He will actively participate in the group's weekly meetings and in the co-supervision of PhD students working on other projects related to topology or non-linear optics. The candidate must be a highly motivated researcher and show some independence and creativity. Strong skills in experimental physics are required, as well as solid knowledge in photonics, solid state physics and quantum physics. Applicants must have recently obtained a doctorate, and have demonstrated their ability to publish scientific articles in prestigious journals.

Web site for additional job details

https: // emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR9001-SYLRAV-004/Default.aspx

Required Research Experiences

RESEARCH FIELD

Physics

YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

1 - 4

Offer Requirements

REQUIRED EDUCATION LEVEL

Physics: PhD or equivalent

REQUIRED LANGUAGES

FRENCH: Basic

Contact Information

Organisation/Company: CNRS

Department: Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies

Organisation Type: Public Research Institution

Website: https:// www. c2n.universite-paris-saclay.fr/fr/

Country: France

City: PALAISEAU