Direct observation of Dirac cones and a flatband in a honeycomb lattice for polaritons.
Two-dimensional lattices of coupled micropillars etched in a planar semiconductor microcavity offer a workbench to engineer the band structure of polaritons. We report experimental studies of honeycomb lattices where the polariton low-energy dispersion is analogous to that of electrons in graphene. Using energy-resolved photoluminescence, we directly observe Dirac cones, around which the dynamics of polaritons is described by the Dirac equation for massless particles. At higher energies, we observe p orbital bands, one of them with the nondispersive character of a flatband. The realization of this structure which holds massless, massive, and infinitely massive particles opens the route towards studies of the interplay of dispersion, interactions, and frustration in a novel and controlled environment.
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Jacqmin
INO-CNR BEC Center and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, I-38123 Povo, Italy.
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Carusotto
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Sagnes
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Abbarchi
Institut Pascal, PHOTON-N2, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS, 24 avenue des Landais, 63177 Aubière Cedex, France.
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Solnyshkov
Institut Pascal, PHOTON-N2, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, CNRS, 24 avenue des Landais, 63177 Aubière Cedex, France.
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Malpuech
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Galopin
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Lemaître
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Bloch
Laboratoire de Photonique et Nanostructures, CNRS/LPN, Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France.
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Amo