Topologically driven Rabi-oscillating interference dislocation

Abstract

Quantum vortices are the quantized version of classical vortices. Their center is a phase singularity or vortex core around which the flow of particles as a whole circulates and is typical in superfluids, condensates and optical fields. However, the exploration of the motion of the phase singularities in coherently-coupled systems is still underway. We theoretically analyze the propagation of an interference dislocation in the regime of strong coupling between light and matter, with strong mass imbalance, corresponding to the case of microcavity exciton–polaritons. To this end, we utilize combinations of vortex and tightly focused Gaussian beams, which are introduced through resonant pulsed pumping. We show that a dislocation originates from self-interference fringes, due to the non-parabolic dispersion of polaritons combined with moving Rabi-oscillating vortices. The morphology of singularities is analyzed in the Poincaré space for the pseudospin associated to the polariton states. The resulting beam carries orbital angular momentum with decaying oscillations due to the loss of spatial overlap between the normal modes of the polariton system.

Keywords

• exciton-polariton
• interference dislocation
• linear momentum
• orbital angular momentum
• self-interfering wavepacket