Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation

    Collapse and Revival of Exciton-Polaritons in a Single Nanocavity Revealed by Ultrafast Nonlinear Microscopy

    Liyu Zhang1,*, Zhongao Huang1,*, Kai Wang1,2,†, Chao Guan1, Zijian He1, Jiaxing Yang1, Shuzheng Chen1, Xiaobo Han3, and Peixiang Lu1,3,‡

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: kale_wong@hust.edu.cn
    • ‡Contact author: lupeixiang@hust.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 056906 – Published 30 July, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dyyz-ddyg

    Abstract

    The ultrafast dynamics of exciton-polaritons (EPs) in single plasmonic nanocavities are of fundamental interest due to extreme mode confinement (V∼10−6λ3), which enables few-exciton strong coupling and strong nonlinearity of EPs. However, directly probing transient evolutions of EPs in a single nanocavity has remained a challenge. Here, we develop an EP-resonant enhanced ultrafast difference-frequency generation (DFG) microscopy for directly visualizing EP dynamics in a single WSe2-Au nanocavity. By scanning the pump photon energy across the polariton resonances and recording the DFG intensity as a function of pump-probe delay, we construct two-dimensional maps that directly visualize the transient evolution of the high and low energy branches of EPs. The maps reveal that the EPs collapse suddenly and then revive within 2 ps with a saturation threshold below 2 pJ, indicating strong nonlinearity of EPs in the few-exciton saturation regime. This Letter provides a new approach for visualizing the nonequilibrium dynamics of EPs in a single plasmonic nanocavity, offering important experimental evidence for ultrafast manipulation of EPs.

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    Authorization Required

    We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

    Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

    References (Subscription Required)

    Outline

    Information

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation