Reconfigurable quantum fluid molecules of bound states in the continuum

Abstract

Topological bound states in the continuum are confined wave-mechanical objects that offer advantageous ways to enhance light-matter interactions in compact photonic devices. In particular, their large quality factor in the strong-coupling regime has recently enabled the demonstration of Bose-Einstein condensation of bound-state-in-the-continuum polaritons. Here, we show that condensation into a negative-mass bound state in the continuum exhibits interaction-induced state confinement, opening opportunities for optically reprogrammable molecular arrays of quantum fluids of light. We exploit this optical trapping mechanism to demonstrate that such molecular complexes show hybridization with macroscopic modes with unusual topological charge multiplicity. Additionally, we demonstrate the scalability of our technique by constructing extended mono- and diatomic chains of bound-state-in-the-continuum polariton fluids that display non-Hermitian band formation and the opening of a minigap. Our findings offer insights into large-scale, reprogrammable, driven, dissipative many-body systems in the strong-coupling regime.