On Friday 13 June, QAMSS was delighted to welcome Dr Daniele Sanvitto from CNR Nanotec, Italy, to deliver a captivating lecture titled "Quantum Fluids of Light: From Condensation to Supersolidity" at the Cambridge Graphene Centre Seminar Room.
Dr Sanvitto introduced the audience to the fascinating world of polaritons—quasiparticles formed through the strong coupling of photons and excitons in semiconductor microcavities. His talk highlighted how these hybrid particles can form Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) at room temperature, paving the way for next-generation all-optical devices that combine low energy consumption, high speed, and near-zero dissipation.
The lecture explored a wide range of macroscopic quantum phenomena observable in polariton systems, such as superfluidity, quantized circulation, quantum turbulence, and topological effects. Drawing on recent experimental breakthroughs, Dr Sanvitto discussed the condensation of polaritons in topologically protected states, as well as the engineering of polariton crystals via semiconductor waveguide patterning.
A particular highlight of the lecture was the discussion on supersolidity—an exotic phase of matter where superfluid properties coexist with a crystalline order. Dr Sanvitto presented his team’s recent work demonstrating this phenomenon in photonic-crystal polariton condensates, as published in Nature earlier this year.
The lecture attracted a wide interdisciplinary audience from across the University and was followed by engaging discussions with researchers during lab tours.
We thank Dr Sanvitto for his inspiring contribution and look forward to future collaborations.
