Title: Light-Matter Hybrids: From engineering quantum materials to out-of-equilibrium condensates
Abstract:
Strong light–matter interaction leads to the formation of hybrid quasiparticles—polaritons—that inherit properties from both photons and material excitations. In this talk, I will first introduce the concept of strong light–matter coupling and the unique advantages offered by polaritonic systems. I will then discuss our recent work on realizing magneto-polaritons in the van der Waals magnet CrSBr, demonstrating how the magneto-optic response can be controlled by tuning the photonic and excitonic content of the polariton states [1]. I will also highlight the role of spin waves (magnons) in modifying excitonic interactions within this material platform [2], as well as the potential of this system for microwave-to-optical transduction.
In the second part of the talk, I will present the formation of out-of-equilibrium polariton condensates at room temperature using organic molecular excitons [3,4]. I will further discuss approaches for creating optically imprinted condensate lattices in these systems [5] and briefly outline their prospects for computing and analog information processing.
[1] F. Dirnberger et al. Nature vol. 620, p. 533 (2023).
[2] B. Datta, P. Adak, S. Yu et al., Nature Materials vol. 24, p. 1027 (2025)
[3] P. Deshmukh et al. ACS Photonics vol. 11, p. 348 (2024).
[4] D. Choi et al. Adv. Opt. Mat. vol. 13, 2500086b (2025)
[5] J. Chapman et al. Optica 12, 1873-1877 (2025)
Keywords: Polaritons, 2D materials, molecular condensates, polariton chemistry, quantum materials