arXiv · 1605.01870
Thermalization and Bose-Einstein condensation of quantum light in bulk nonlinear media
Abstract
We study the thermalization and the Bose-Einstein condensation of a paraxial, spectrally narrow beam of quantum light propagating in a lossless bulk Kerr medium. The spatiotemporal evolution of the quantum optical field is ruled by a Heisenberg equation analogous to the quantum nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation of dilute atomic Bose gases. Correspondingly, in the weak-nonlinearity regime, the phase-space density evolves according to the Boltzmann equation. Expressions for the thermalization time and for the temperature and the chemical potential of the eventual Bose-Einstein distribution are found. After discussing experimental issues, we introduce an optical setup allowing the evaporative cooling of a guided beam of light towards Bose-Einstein condensation. This might serve as a novel source of coherent light.
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A. Chiocchetta, P. -É. Larré, I. Carusotto. 2016-05-06. Thermalization and Bose-Einstein condensation of quantum light in bulk nonlinear media. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/115/24002
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