Quantum Magic: How “Super Photons” Are Shaping the Future of Physics

Artist’s view of a photonic Bose-Einstein condensate in a bath of dye molecules that has been perturbated by an external light source . Credit: A. Erglis/Albert-Ludwigs University of FreiburgBose-Einstein condensates, conform to fundamental physics theorems, enabling insights into properties that are often difficult to observe.

Under suitable conditions, thousands of particles of light can merge into a type of “super photon.” Physicists call such a state a photon Bose-Einstein condensate. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now shown that this exotic quantum state obeys a fundamental theorem of physics. This finding now allows one to measure properties of photon Bose-Einstein condensates which are usually difficult to access.

This process still continues afterward, however, and the particles of the super photon repeatedly collide with the dye molecules, being swallowed up before being spat out again. Therefore, the quantum gas sometimes contains more and sometimes less photons, making it flicker like a candle. “We used this flickering to investigate whether an important theorem of physics is valid in a quantum gas system,” says Schmitt.

Reference: “Observation of nonlinear response and Onsager regression in a photon Bose-Einstein condensate” by Alexander Sazhin, Vladimir N. Gladilin, Andris Erglis, Göran Hellmann, Frank Vewinger, Martin Weitz, Michiel Wouters and Julian Schmitt, 3 June 2024,The Institute of Applied Physics at the University of Bonn, the University of Antwerp and the University of Freiburg participated in the study.

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