Superfluidity of light

Par  Mathias Albert, Institut de Physique de Nice, Université Côte d’Azur

Mardi 2 juillet,  14h00, Salle des séminaires (215), 2ème étage, Bâtiment A4N

Abstract :

Superfluidity, the ability of a fluid to move without friction along a pipe or past an obstacle, is one of the most spectacular manifestation of the quantum nature of matter. Originally discovered in liquid Helium 4 in the 1930s, it was the trigger of many theoretical and experimental developments leading to the teeming research field of quantum fluids.Thanks to non-linear media, it is now also possible to create quantum fluids of light. In this talk, I will present the experimental results obtained in Nice demonstrating the superfluid behavior of light propagating in a bulk non linear crystal. I will also discuss statistical properties of a one dimensional superfluid moving through a disordered environment and their connections to extreme value statistics.