Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2011.14131 · Physical Review A

Vacuum-ultraviolet absorption and emission spectroscopy of gaseous, liquid, and supercritical xenon

Christian Wahl, Marvin Hoffmann, Thilo vom Hövel, Frank Vewinger, Martin Weitz

Published Feb 26, 2021• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Bose-Einstein condensation, an effect long known for material particles as cold atomic gases, has in recent years also been observed for photons in microscopic optical cavities. Here, we report absorption and emission spectroscopic measurements on the lowest electronic transition ($5{p}^{6}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{p}^{5}6s$) of xenon, motivated by the search for a thermalization medium for photon Bose-Einstein condensation in the vacuum-ultraviolet spectral regime. We have recorded pressure-broadened xenon spectra in the 135- to 190-nm wavelength regime at conditions near the critical point. The explored pressure and temperature ranges include high-pressure gaseous xenon below the critical pressure and supercritical xenon at room temperature as well as liquid xenon close to the boiling point near the critical pressure.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.103.022831

Related papers

Two-photon excitation and absorption spectroscopy of gaseous and supercritical xenon

Thilo vom Hövel, Franz Huybrechts, Eric Boltersdorf +3 more

Spectroscopy of gases under high-pressure conditions is of interest in various fields such as plasma physics and astrophysics. Recently, it has also been proposed to utilize a high-pressure noble gas environment as a thermalization medium to extend the wavelength range of photon Bose-Einstein condensates to the vacuum-ultraviolet regime, from the presently accessible visible and near-infrared spectral regimes. In this work, we report on experimental results of two-photon spectroscopy of gaseous and supercritical xenon for pressures as high as 95 bar, probing the transitions from the $5{p}^{6}$ electronic ground-state to the $5{p}^{5}6p$ and $5{p}^{5}6{p}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ excited-state configurations. Aiming at the exploration of possible pumping schemes for future vacuum-ultraviolet photon condensates, we have recorded degenerate two-photon excitation spectra of such dense xenon samples. In further measurements, we have investigated whether irradiation of an auxiliary light field can enhance the reabsorption of the emission on the second excimer continuum of xenon, which is subject to a large Stokes shift. To this end, absorption measurements have been conducted, driving the $5{p}^{6}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{p}^{5}6p$ two-photon transitions nondegenerately.

arXiv:2304.12803•Physical Review A•Jul 28, 2023•1 citation

One- and two-photon spectroscopy with a test of the Kennard-Stepanov relation in high-pressure two-species xenon–noble-gas mixtures

Eric Boltersdorf, Thilo vom Hövel, Jeremy Andrew Morín Nenoff +2 more

Between the absorption and the emission spectral lineshapes of dense atomic and molecular media, such as dye solutions and alkali-noble buffer gas mixtures at high pressure, in many cases there exists a universal scaling, the Kennard-Stepanov relation, which is a manifestation of detailed balance. This relation plays a crucial role in recent Bose-Einstein condensation experiments of visible-spectral-photons in e.g.~dye-solution-filled optical microcavities. It has recently been proposed to use high-pressure xenon-noble gas mixtures as a thermalization medium for vacuum-ultraviolet regime photons, so as to extend the achievable wavelength range of such Bose-Einstein-condensed optical sources from the visible to the vacuum-ultraviolet regime. In this work, we report two-photon excitation spectroscopy measurements of ground state ($5p^6$) xenon atoms subject to up to 80bar of helium or krypton buffer gas pressure, respectively, in the 220-260nm wavelength range. The study of such two-photon spectra is of interest e.g.~for the exploration of possible pumping schemes of a future vacuum-ultraviolet photon Bose-Einstein condensate. We have also recorded absorption and emission spectra of the $5p^6 \leftrightarrow 5p^56s$ single-photon transition near 147nm wavelength of xenon atoms subject to 80bar of krypton buffer gas pressure. We find that the ratio of absorption and emission shows a Kennard-Stepanov scaling, which suggests that such gas mixtures are promising candidates as a thermalization medium for a Bose-Einstein condensate of vacuum-ultraviolet photons.

arXiv:2503.10553•Physical Review A•Jun 23, 2025•0 citations

Spectroscopy of Heteronuclear Xenon-noble Gas Dimers – Towards Bose-Einstein Condensation of Vacuum-UV Photons

Eric Boltersdorf, Thilo vom Hövel, Frank Vewinger +1 more

Other than for the three-dimensonal case of blackbody radiation, low-dimensional photon gases can exhibit Bose- Einstein condensation, as been experimentally demonstrated in the visible spectral regime first in 2010 using a dye-filled optical microcavity [1]. Here a short, wavelength sized spacing of cavity mirrors provides a low- frequency cutoff imprinting a spectrum of photon energies restricted to well above the thermal energy, and photons thermalize by repeated absorption and (re-)emission processes on the dye molecules to room temperature. As a prominent feature, a Bose-Einstein condensate of photons is as a coherent light source. This is of special interest in the vacuum-ultraviolet spectral regime (100 nm-200 nm, VUV), as it is difficult to realize lasers in this wavelength range. This is mainly due to the$1/\omega^{3}$-scaling of excited state lifetimes, which requires increasingly high pump powers at short wavelengths to create population inversion in a laser medium.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 26, 2023•0 citations

Evolution of excitonic bands in fluid xenon

P. Laporte, I. T. Steinberger

Reflection spectra of homogeneous fluid xenon are presented for the wavelength region $115<\ensuremath{\lambda}<165$ nm and densities ranging from that near the critical point to that at the triple point. For each atomic line in this spectral region two bands are observed: one broadened and somewhat shifted band corresponding to the atomic transition, and another distinct band corresponding in position to that of the exciton observed in the triple-point liquid. Dispersion analysis of the two (atomic and excitonic) $^{3}P_{1}$ bands yielded the optical constants ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$, $n$, and $k$ as a function of photon energy as well as parameters of the absorption bands. The results are interpreted in terms of exciton transitions appearing in momentary clusters of the fluid. The analysis of the parameters of the absorption bands was compared with the statistical fluctuations of the fluid density. It was estimated from this comparison that the $^{3}P_{1}$ exciton can be formed in a momentary cluster of atoms provided two conditions are fulfilled: the cluster has at least the volume of 1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ and contains at least ten atoms.

Physical Review A•Jun 1, 1977•36 citations

Bose-Einstein condensation of photons in a microscopic optical resonator: towards photonic lattices and coupled cavities

Jan Klaers, Julian Schmitt, Tobias Damm +3 more

Bose-Einstein condensation has in the last two decades been observed in cold atomic gases and in solid-state physics quasiparticles, exciton-polaritons and magnons, respectively. The perhaps most widely known example of a bosonic gas, photons in blackbody radiation, however exhibits no Bose-Einstein condensation, because the particle number is not conserved and at low temperatures the photons disappear in the system’s walls instead of massively occupying the cavity ground mode. This is not the case in a small optical cavity, with a low-frequency cutoff imprinting a spectrum of photon energies restricted to values well above the thermal energy. The here reported experiments are based on a microscopic optical cavity filled with dye solution at room temperature. Recent experiments of our group observing Bose-Einstein condensation of photons in such a setup are described. Moreover, we discuss some possible applications of photon condensates to realize quantum manybody states in periodic photonic lattices and photonic Josephson devices.

arXiv:1303.5772•Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Feb 22, 2013•16 citations

Photon condensates in microstructured trapping potentials

Christian Kurtscheid, David Dung, Erik Busley +5 more

Bose-Einstein condensation, the macroscopic ground state occupation of bosonic particles at low temperature and high density, has previously been observed for cold atomic gases and solid-state quasiparticles. In recent work, Bose-Einstein condensation of photons has been realized in a dye-filled optical microcavity at room temperature [1, 2]. The short mirror spacing of the curved mirror microcavity introduces a low-frequency cutoff, and thermal contact to the dye-solution is achieved by subsequent absorption and re-emission processes.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2017•0 citations
Bose-Einstein condensation, an effect long known for material particles as cold atomic gases, has in recent years also been observed for photons in microscopic optical cavities. Here, we report absorption and emission spectroscopic measurements on the lowest electronic transition (5p6\ensuremath→5p56s5{p}^{6}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{p}^{5}6s5p6\ensuremath→5p56s) of xenon, motivated by the search for a thermalization medium for photon Bose-Einstein condensation in the vacuum-ultraviolet spectral regime. We have recorded pressure-broadened xenon spectra in the 135- to 190-nm wavelength regime at conditions near the critical point. The explored pressure and temperature ranges include high-pressure gaseous xenon below the critical pressure and supercritical xenon at room temperature as well as liquid xenon close to the boiling point near the critical pressure.
Spectroscopy of gases under high-pressure conditions is of interest in various fields such as plasma physics and astrophysics. Recently, it has also been proposed to utilize a high-pressure noble gas environment as a thermalization medium to extend the wavelength range of photon Bose-Einstein condensates to the vacuum-ultraviolet regime, from the presently accessible visible and near-infrared spectral regimes. In this work, we report on experimental results of two-photon spectroscopy of gaseous and supercritical xenon for pressures as high as 95 bar, probing the transitions from the 5p65{p}^{6}5p6 electronic ground-state to the 5p56p5{p}^{5}6p5p56p and $5{p}^{5}6{p}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ excited-state configurations. Aiming at the exploration of possible pumping schemes for future vacuum-ultraviolet photon condensates, we have recorded degenerate two-photon excitation spectra of such dense xenon samples. In further measurements, we have investigated whether irradiation of an auxiliary light field can enhance the reabsorption of the emission on the second excimer continuum of xenon, which is subject to a large Stokes shift. To this end, absorption measurements have been conducted, driving the $5{p}^{6}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{p}^{5}6p$ two-photon transitions nondegenerately.
Between the absorption and the emission spectral lineshapes of dense atomic and molecular media, such as dye solutions and alkali-noble buffer gas mixtures at high pressure, in many cases there exists a universal scaling, the Kennard-Stepanov relation, which is a manifestation of detailed balance. This relation plays a crucial role in recent Bose-Einstein condensation experiments of visible-spectral-photons in e.g.~dye-solution-filled optical microcavities. It has recently been proposed to use high-pressure xenon-noble gas mixtures as a thermalization medium for vacuum-ultraviolet regime photons, so as to extend the achievable wavelength range of such Bose-Einstein-condensed optical sources from the visible to the vacuum-ultraviolet regime. In this work, we report two-photon excitation spectroscopy measurements of ground state (5p65p^65p6) xenon atoms subject to up to 80bar of helium or krypton buffer gas pressure, respectively, in the 220-260nm wavelength range. The study of such two-photon spectra is of interest e.g.~for the exploration of possible pumping schemes of a future vacuum-ultraviolet photon Bose-Einstein condensate. We have also recorded absorption and emission spectra of the 5p6↔5p56s5p^6 \leftrightarrow 5p^56s5p6↔5p56s single-photon transition near 147nm wavelength of xenon atoms subject to 80bar of krypton buffer gas pressure. We find that the ratio of absorption and emission shows a Kennard-Stepanov scaling, which suggests that such gas mixtures are promising candidates as a thermalization medium for a Bose-Einstein condensate of vacuum-ultraviolet photons.
Other than for the three-dimensonal case of blackbody radiation, low-dimensional photon gases can exhibit Bose- Einstein condensation, as been experimentally demonstrated in the visible spectral regime first in 2010 using a dye-filled optical microcavity [1]. Here a short, wavelength sized spacing of cavity mirrors provides a low- frequency cutoff imprinting a spectrum of photon energies restricted to well above the thermal energy, and photons thermalize by repeated absorption and (re-)emission processes on the dye molecules to room temperature. As a prominent feature, a Bose-Einstein condensate of photons is as a coherent light source. This is of special interest in the vacuum-ultraviolet spectral regime (100 nm-200 nm, VUV), as it is difficult to realize lasers in this wavelength range. This is mainly due to the1/ω31/\omega^{3}1/ω3-scaling of excited state lifetimes, which requires increasingly high pump powers at short wavelengths to create population inversion in a laser medium.
Reflection spectra of homogeneous fluid xenon are presented for the wavelength region $115<\ensuremath{\lambda}<165$ nm and densities ranging from that near the critical point to that at the triple point. For each atomic line in this spectral region two bands are observed: one broadened and somewhat shifted band corresponding to the atomic transition, and another distinct band corresponding in position to that of the exciton observed in the triple-point liquid. Dispersion analysis of the two (atomic and excitonic) 3P1^{3}P_{1}3P1​ bands yielded the optical constants ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$, nnn, and kkk as a function of photon energy as well as parameters of the absorption bands. The results are interpreted in terms of exciton transitions appearing in momentary clusters of the fluid. The analysis of the parameters of the absorption bands was compared with the statistical fluctuations of the fluid density. It was estimated from this comparison that the 3P1^{3}P_{1}3P1​ exciton can be formed in a momentary cluster of atoms provided two conditions are fulfilled: the cluster has at least the volume of 1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}$ cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3 and contains at least ten atoms.
Bose-Einstein condensation has in the last two decades been observed in cold atomic gases and in solid-state physics quasiparticles, exciton-polaritons and magnons, respectively. The perhaps most widely known example of a bosonic gas, photons in blackbody radiation, however exhibits no Bose-Einstein condensation, because the particle number is not conserved and at low temperatures the photons disappear in the system’s walls instead of massively occupying the cavity ground mode. This is not the case in a small optical cavity, with a low-frequency cutoff imprinting a spectrum of photon energies restricted to values well above the thermal energy. The here reported experiments are based on a microscopic optical cavity filled with dye solution at room temperature. Recent experiments of our group observing Bose-Einstein condensation of photons in such a setup are described. Moreover, we discuss some possible applications of photon condensates to realize quantum manybody states in periodic photonic lattices and photonic Josephson devices.
Bose-Einstein condensation, the macroscopic ground state occupation of bosonic particles at low temperature and high density, has previously been observed for cold atomic gases and solid-state quasiparticles. In recent work, Bose-Einstein condensation of photons has been realized in a dye-filled optical microcavity at room temperature [1, 2]. The short mirror spacing of the curved mirror microcavity introduces a low-frequency cutoff, and thermal contact to the dye-solution is achieved by subsequent absorption and re-emission processes.