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:2512.17833

Effective Mass in Dissipative Coupled Polaritons

Diego A. Mendoza, Areli J. Vega-Carmona, Arturo Camacho-Guardian, Miguel A. Bastarrachea-Magnani

cond-mat.mes-hallquant-phSubmitted Dec 19, 2025• Announced Dec 22, 2025
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Dissipative coupling refers to the effect where two systems interact with each other mediated by dissipation channels. Recent advances in controlling light-matter systems have opened new avenues to explore non-Hermitian effects arising from dissipative coupling, such as level attraction and anomalous dispersions. In this work, we perform a parametric study of these effects in a polariton system, i.e., a light-matter superposition, under both dissipative and coherent coupling. We characterize the effects of different sources of non-Hermitian behavior and analytically identify the conditions for the emergence of negative effective mass, exceptional points, and bound states in the continuum as a function of the light-matter detuning, the coherent-to-dissipative coupling ratio, and the relative decay rate of the non-interacting subsystems. We also analyze the classical limit of the polariton system within a non-Hermitian framework, employing coherent states.

Comments
14 pages, 5 figures

Related papers

Exceptional points in dissipative coupling polaron-polaritons

A. J. Vega-Carmona, D. A. Mendoza, A. Camacho-Guardian +1 more

Understanding how strong correlations and dissipation combine to shape collective quantum excitations is a central challenge in many-body physics. We investigate the effect of dissipative light-matter coupling on strongly interacting exciton-polaritons in the presence of a biexciton resonance, which gives rise to polaron-polariton quasiparticles. We show that the interplay between many-body correlations and non-Hermitian coupling generates anomalous dispersion relations and exceptional points in the polaron-polariton spectrum. The location and coexistence of exceptional points are controlled by the dissipative coupling and the relative decay rates of the excitonic and photonic constituents, allowing them to emerge across different polaron-polariton branches. These results identify dissipative polaron-polaritons as a versatile platform for exploring non-Hermitian many-body physics with tunable light-matter quasiparticles.

cond-mat.mes-hallCross-listedarXiv:2607.00994•Jul 2, 2026

Dissipative light-matter coupling and anomalous dispersion in nonideal cavities

O. Bleu, Kenneth Choo, Jesper Levinsen +1 more

We consider the scenario of an emitter embedded in a nonideal cavity. Using an input-output approach to describe the open system, we show that an effective dissipative coupling between the emitter and the cavity can emerge because of their interaction with a common photonic environment. The underlying mechanism is independent of the nature of the emitter and exists even at zero temperature; hence our results provide a pathway for accessing a range of non-Hermitian phenomena in a variety of light-matter coupled systems. In particular, we show that the effective dissipative coupling can lead to the phenomenon of level attraction between the emitter and cavity mode when the radiative decay rates exceed the conventional Rabi coupling. Our model thus provides a possible explanation for the anomalous dispersions and negative mass observed in recent photoluminescence measurements in semiconductor microcavities. Finally, we show that our effective non-Hermitian system can produce hybrid light-matter exceptional points and bound states in the continuum.

arXiv:2301.02221•Physical Review A•Feb 9, 2024•9 citations

Waveguide QED with dissipative light-matter couplings

Xing‐Liang Dong, Fuli Li, Zongping Gong +1 more

Dissipative light-matter coupling plays a vital role in non-Hermitian physics, but it remains largely unexplored in waveguide QED systems. In this work, we find that by employing pseudo-Hermitian symmetry rather than anti- PT symmetry, the concept of dissipative coupling could be generalized and applied to the field of waveguide QED. This leads to a series of intriguing results, such as spontaneous breaking of pseudo-Hermitian symmetry across the exceptional points (EPs), level attraction between the bound states, and critical transition across the EPs for the population of quantum emitters in the bound state. Thanks to the tunability of photonic bands in crystal waveguides, we also demonstrate that dissipative light-matter coupling leads to the emergence of nonstandard third-order exceptional points with chiral spatial profiles in a topological waveguide QED system. This work provides a promising paradigm for studying non-Hermitian quantum phenomena in waveguide QED systems.

arXiv:2503.14874•Physical Review Research•Feb 19, 2025•9 citations

Non-Hermitian Effects in Dicke models

Bin Jiang, Yiyang Li, Junjie Liu +2 more

The Dicke model, which describes the collective interaction between an ensemble of atoms and a single-mode photon field, serves as a fundamental framework for studying light-matter interactions and quantum electrodynamic phenomena. In this work, we investigate the manifestation of non-Hermitian effects in a generalized Dicke model, where two dissipative atom ensembles interact with a single-mode photon field. By applying the Holstein-Primakoff transformation, we explore the system in the semiclassical limit as a non-Hermitian Dicke model, revealing rich exceptional points (EPs) and diabolic points in such a system. We find that, by introducing the nonlinear saturation gain into an atomic ensemble, higher-order EP can be induced, leading to intriguing properties. Furthermore, if the system is extended to a one-dimensional chain, then the band topology will interplay with the non-Hermitian effect. In the quantum regime, we explore the quantum signature of EPs, noting that the conditions for their emergence are influenced by discrete photon numbers. We further study the transition from photon anti-bunching to bunching at a steady state, driven by non-Hermitian dynamics. Our findings deepen the understanding of non-Hermitian physics in light-matter interaction which is instructive for the design of advanced photonic and quantum systems.

arXiv:2411.08365•Nov 13, 2024•1 citation

Non-Hermitian dynamics in a driven-dissipative and spatially correlated light-matter system

Ruiyang Huang, Eliott Beraud, Antoine Glicenstein +1 more

Pure quantum states, as described in quantum mechanics textbooks, are ideal representations inevitably deteriorated in real systems by any dissipative connection to the environment. In this work we derive a unified theoretical frame to study the non-Hermitian dynamics of a driven-dissipative quantum system and validate it by comparison to experimental data of matter-wave diffraction. To highlight the role of dissipation, we perform the comparison in a near-resonant regime of light-matter interaction, where perturbative approaches fail. Here, we show that the developed formalism enables both exact simulations and an intuitive interpretation based on modal analysis. The theoretical analysis is based on the general master equation description of driven-dissipative systems, from which we derive an effective complex potential $V_\mathrm{eff}(Ω,Δ)$ that depends on control parameters such as the amplitude and detuning of the light matter interaction. Experimentally, we drive a $^{87}$Rb BEC near resonance using periodic excited-state engineering, mapping the spatially modulated $V_{\rm eff}[Ω,Δ(x)]$ into momentum space for precise quantification. The experimental results agree with numerical simulations of the master equation and demonstrate the interplay between coherent drive and dissipation, with an exceptional signature: a reduced decay rate with increasing drive. Such dynamics is then interpreted by a modal analysis of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian $H_\mathrm{eff}=p^2/2m+V_\mathrm{eff}$ which provide an intuitive and qualitative explanation for such driven-dissipative system.

quant-pharXiv:2608.00706•Aug 4, 2026•0 citations

Coherent Polariton Dynamics in Coupled Highly Dissipative Cavities

Yong‐Chun Liu, Xingsheng Luan, Haokun Li +3 more

The coherent light-matter interaction at the single-photon and electronic qubit level promises to be a remarkable potential for nonclassical information processing. Besides the efforts of improving the figure of merit of the cavities, here we demonstrate strong anharmonicity in the polariton dressed states via dark state resonances in a highly dissipative cavity. It is shown that the vacuum Rabi oscillation occurs for a single quantum emitter inside a cavity even with the bosonic decay-to-interaction rate ratio exceeding ${10}^{2}$, when the photon field is coupled to an auxiliary high-$Q$ cavity. Moreover, photon blockade is observable in such a highly dissipative cavity quantum electrodynamics system. This study provides a promising platform for overcoming decoherence and advancing the coherent manipulation of polariton qubits.

arXiv:1405.3473•Physical Review Letters•May 30, 2014•85 citations
Dissipative coupling refers to the effect where two systems interact with each other mediated by dissipation channels. Recent advances in controlling light-matter systems have opened new avenues to explore non-Hermitian effects arising from dissipative coupling, such as level attraction and anomalous dispersions. In this work, we perform a parametric study of these effects in a polariton system, i.e., a light-matter superposition, under both dissipative and coherent coupling. We characterize the effects of different sources of non-Hermitian behavior and analytically identify the conditions for the emergence of negative effective mass, exceptional points, and bound states in the continuum as a function of the light-matter detuning, the coherent-to-dissipative coupling ratio, and the relative decay rate of the non-interacting subsystems. We also analyze the classical limit of the polariton system within a non-Hermitian framework, employing coherent states.
Understanding how strong correlations and dissipation combine to shape collective quantum excitations is a central challenge in many-body physics. We investigate the effect of dissipative light-matter coupling on strongly interacting exciton-polaritons in the presence of a biexciton resonance, which gives rise to polaron-polariton quasiparticles. We show that the interplay between many-body correlations and non-Hermitian coupling generates anomalous dispersion relations and exceptional points in the polaron-polariton spectrum. The location and coexistence of exceptional points are controlled by the dissipative coupling and the relative decay rates of the excitonic and photonic constituents, allowing them to emerge across different polaron-polariton branches. These results identify dissipative polaron-polaritons as a versatile platform for exploring non-Hermitian many-body physics with tunable light-matter quasiparticles.
We consider the scenario of an emitter embedded in a nonideal cavity. Using an input-output approach to describe the open system, we show that an effective dissipative coupling between the emitter and the cavity can emerge because of their interaction with a common photonic environment. The underlying mechanism is independent of the nature of the emitter and exists even at zero temperature; hence our results provide a pathway for accessing a range of non-Hermitian phenomena in a variety of light-matter coupled systems. In particular, we show that the effective dissipative coupling can lead to the phenomenon of level attraction between the emitter and cavity mode when the radiative decay rates exceed the conventional Rabi coupling. Our model thus provides a possible explanation for the anomalous dispersions and negative mass observed in recent photoluminescence measurements in semiconductor microcavities. Finally, we show that our effective non-Hermitian system can produce hybrid light-matter exceptional points and bound states in the continuum.
Dissipative light-matter coupling plays a vital role in non-Hermitian physics, but it remains largely unexplored in waveguide QED systems. In this work, we find that by employing pseudo-Hermitian symmetry rather than anti- PT symmetry, the concept of dissipative coupling could be generalized and applied to the field of waveguide QED. This leads to a series of intriguing results, such as spontaneous breaking of pseudo-Hermitian symmetry across the exceptional points (EPs), level attraction between the bound states, and critical transition across the EPs for the population of quantum emitters in the bound state. Thanks to the tunability of photonic bands in crystal waveguides, we also demonstrate that dissipative light-matter coupling leads to the emergence of nonstandard third-order exceptional points with chiral spatial profiles in a topological waveguide QED system. This work provides a promising paradigm for studying non-Hermitian quantum phenomena in waveguide QED systems.
The Dicke model, which describes the collective interaction between an ensemble of atoms and a single-mode photon field, serves as a fundamental framework for studying light-matter interactions and quantum electrodynamic phenomena. In this work, we investigate the manifestation of non-Hermitian effects in a generalized Dicke model, where two dissipative atom ensembles interact with a single-mode photon field. By applying the Holstein-Primakoff transformation, we explore the system in the semiclassical limit as a non-Hermitian Dicke model, revealing rich exceptional points (EPs) and diabolic points in such a system. We find that, by introducing the nonlinear saturation gain into an atomic ensemble, higher-order EP can be induced, leading to intriguing properties. Furthermore, if the system is extended to a one-dimensional chain, then the band topology will interplay with the non-Hermitian effect. In the quantum regime, we explore the quantum signature of EPs, noting that the conditions for their emergence are influenced by discrete photon numbers. We further study the transition from photon anti-bunching to bunching at a steady state, driven by non-Hermitian dynamics. Our findings deepen the understanding of non-Hermitian physics in light-matter interaction which is instructive for the design of advanced photonic and quantum systems.
Pure quantum states, as described in quantum mechanics textbooks, are ideal representations inevitably deteriorated in real systems by any dissipative connection to the environment. In this work we derive a unified theoretical frame to study the non-Hermitian dynamics of a driven-dissipative quantum system and validate it by comparison to experimental data of matter-wave diffraction. To highlight the role of dissipation, we perform the comparison in a near-resonant regime of light-matter interaction, where perturbative approaches fail. Here, we show that the developed formalism enables both exact simulations and an intuitive interpretation based on modal analysis. The theoretical analysis is based on the general master equation description of driven-dissipative systems, from which we derive an effective complex potential Veff(Ω,Δ)V_\mathrm{eff}(Ω,Δ)Veff​(Ω,Δ) that depends on control parameters such as the amplitude and detuning of the light matter interaction. Experimentally, we drive a 87^{87}87Rb BEC near resonance using periodic excited-state engineering, mapping the spatially modulated Veff[Ω,Δ(x)]V_{\rm eff}[Ω,Δ(x)]Veff​[Ω,Δ(x)] into momentum space for precise quantification. The experimental results agree with numerical simulations of the master equation and demonstrate the interplay between coherent drive and dissipation, with an exceptional signature: a reduced decay rate with increasing drive. Such dynamics is then interpreted by a modal analysis of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian Heff=p2/2m+VeffH_\mathrm{eff}=p^2/2m+V_\mathrm{eff}Heff​=p2/2m+Veff​ which provide an intuitive and qualitative explanation for such driven-dissipative system.
The coherent light-matter interaction at the single-photon and electronic qubit level promises to be a remarkable potential for nonclassical information processing. Besides the efforts of improving the figure of merit of the cavities, here we demonstrate strong anharmonicity in the polariton dressed states via dark state resonances in a highly dissipative cavity. It is shown that the vacuum Rabi oscillation occurs for a single quantum emitter inside a cavity even with the bosonic decay-to-interaction rate ratio exceeding 102{10}^{2}102, when the photon field is coupled to an auxiliary high-QQQ cavity. Moreover, photon blockade is observable in such a highly dissipative cavity quantum electrodynamics system. This study provides a promising platform for overcoming decoherence and advancing the coherent manipulation of polariton qubits.