Bosonic Condensation and Disorder-Induced Localization in a Flat Band

Publication Year
2016

Type

Journal Article
Abstract
We report on the engineering of a nondispersive (flat) energy band in a geometrically frustrated lattice of micropillar optical cavities. By taking advantage of the non-Hermitian nature of our system, we achieve bosonic condensation of exciton polaritons into the flat band. Because of the infinite effective mass in such a band, the condensate is highly sensitive to disorder and fragments into localized modes reflecting the elementary eigenstates produced by geometric frustration. This realization offers a novel approach to studying coherent phases of light and matter under the controlled interplay of frustration, interactions, and dissipation.
Journal
Physical Review Letters
Volume
116
Issue
6
Pages
066402
ISSN Number
0031-9007, 1079-7114
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