Mainz 2026 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 18: Photon BEC
Q 18.1: Talk
Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 11:00–11:15, P 4
Using Direct Laser Writing to fabricate potential landscapes for photon gases in dye-filled microcavities — Julian Schulz1, Kirankumar Karkihalli Umesh2, •Sven Enns1, Niklas Caspar1, Frank Vewinger2, and Georg von Freymann1,3 — 1Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany — 2Institute of Applied Physics, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany — 3Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
We experimentally investigate photon gases and photon Bose-Einstein condensates in dye-filled microcavities. In order to achieve condensation in 2D systems and to investigate further phenomena such as incoherent transport [1], the creation of potential landscapes for the photon gas is necessary. We use the 3D laser lithography technology called Direct Laser Writing (DLW) to fabricate these potentials. Thereby, polymer structures can be printed onto the surface of the cavity mirrors. The refractive index contrast between the polymer structures and the dye-solution inside of the cavity create potential landscapes due to the modified optical path length. Using DLW allows for the creation of higher trapping frequencies and coupling rates between single potential sites in comparison to other techniques. We demonstrate these advantages by showing measurements of the photon gas in a SHH-chain and the dimensional crossover from 2D to 1D [2]. [1] L. Garbe et al., SciPost Phys. 16, 029 (2024). [2] K. Karkihalli Umesh et al., Nature Physics 20, 1810-1815 (2024).
Keywords: photon BEC; photon gas; Direct Laser Writing (DLW); 3D µ-printing