Statistical properties of ideal photons in a two-dimensional dye-filled spherical cap cavity
Ze Cheng
Abstract
Abstract Within the framework of quantum statistical mechanics, we have proposed an exact analytical solution to the problem of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of harmonically trapped, two-dimensional, and ideal photons. We utilize this analytical solution to investigate the statistical properties of ideal photons in a two-dimensional dye-filled spherical cap cavity. The results of numerical calculation of the analytical solution agree completely with the foregoing experimental results in the BEC of harmonically trapped, two-dimensional, and ideal photons. The analytical expressions of the critical temperature and the condensate fraction are derived in the thermodynamic limit. It is found that the two-dimensional critical photon number is larger than the one-dimensional critical photon number by two orders of magnitude. The spectral radiance of a two-dimensional spherical cap cavity has a sharp peak at the frequency of the cavity cutoff when the photon number exceeds the critical value determined by a temperature. PACS numbers: 42.50.-p, 03.75.Hh, 67.85.Hj