The Astrophysics team has demonstrated that a solid can exhibit gigantic nonlinear optical responses usually seen only in cold atomic gases. The key is the similarity between Rydberg states (large orbitals) of atoms and Rydberg states of excitons. This new approach is an important step for integrated nonlinear optics, with possible consequences for chip-based optical computing.

Illustration of the Kerr effect : the light wave is modified inside a crystal be the presence of large atom-like particles call Rydberg excitons.

More:
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.137401

Author affiliation:
Laboratoire de physique de L’École normale supérieure (LPENS, ENS Paris/CNRS/Sorbonne Université/Université de Paris)

Corresponding author: Thomas Boulier
Communication contact: L’équipe de communication