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We show that concept of parity-time (PT) symmetry can be expanded to include mixed photon-exciton modes by demonstrating that eigenmodes of active (pumped) strongly coupled cavity polaritons with population inversion exhibit characteristics that are remarkably akin to those of coupled photonic structures with parity-time symmetry. The exceptional point occurs when the Rabi splitting of polariton branches inherent in passive polaritonic systems decreases with increase in pumping, leading to population inversion, and eventually two polaritonic modes merge into a single mode, thus manifesting the frequency pulling effect inherent to all lasers. But, remarkably, this exceptional point occurs below the lasing threshold. Furthermore, unlike most manifestations of PT symmetry in optics, which are observed in the interaction between two analogous photonic modes in waveguides or cavities, in this work the exceptional point is found in interaction between two very dissimilar modes—one photonic and one material excitation (exciton). Aside from fundamentally noteworthy expansion of the concept of PT symmetry to new systems, there is a prospect of using the exceptional point in polaritons for practical applications, such as sensing.
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This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2026
Ultrafast energizing the parity-forbidden dark exciton in black phosphorus
As conventional electronic materials approach their physical limits, the application of ultrafast optical fields to access transient states of matter cap- tures imagination. The inversion symmetry governs the optical parity selection rule, differentiating between accessible and inaccessible states of matter. To circumvent parity-forbidden transitions, the common practice is to break the inversion symmetry by material design or external fields. Here we report how the application of femtosecond ultraviolet pulses can energize a parity-forbidden dark exciton state in black phosphorus while maintaining its intrinsic material symmetry. Unlike its conventional bandgap absorption in visible-to-infrared, femtosecond ultraviolet excitation turns on efficient Coulomb scattering, promoting carrier multiplication and electronic heating to ~3000 K, and consequently populating its parity-forbidden states. Interfero- metric time- and angle-resolved two-photon photoemission spectroscopy reveals dark exciton dynamics of black phosphorus on ~100 fs time scale and its anisotropic wavefunctions in energy-momentum space, illuminating its potential applications in optoelectronics and photochemistry under ultraviolet optical excitation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2102601
- PAR ID:
- 10637267
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 3992
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1-9
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- black phosphorus Auger recombination parity-forbidden exciton electronic heating dark exciton
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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