Pushing Photons with Electrons: Observation of the Polariton Drag Effect

D. M. Myers; Q. Yao; H. Alnatah; S. Mukherjee; B. Ozden; J. Beaumariage; L. N. Pfeiffer; K. West; D. W. Snoke

doi:10.1103/fb2r-qdq7

Pushing Photons with Electrons: Observation of the Polariton Drag Effect

D. M. Myers ^1,*, Q. Yao^1,†,‡, H. Alnatah¹, S. Mukherjee^1,§, B. Ozden^1,∥, J. Beaumariage¹, L. N. Pfeiffer², K. West², and D. W. Snoke¹

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
²Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

^*Present address: Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc., Fort Washington, Pennsylvania 19034, USA.
^†Present address: Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
^‡Contact author: qiyao@umd.edu
^§Present address: Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
^∥Present address: Department of Physics and Engineering, Penn State Abington, Abington, Pennsylvania 19001, USA.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 146903 – Published 30 September, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fb2r-qdq7

Abstract

We show the direct effect of free electrons colliding with polaritons, changing their momentum. The result of this interaction of the electrons with the polaritons is a change in the angle of emission of the photons from our cavity structure. Because the experiment is a photon-in, photon-out system, this is equivalent to optical beam steering of photons using a direct electrical current. The effect is asymmetric, significantly slowing down the polaritons when they move oppositely to the electrons, while the polariton momentum only slightly increases when the electrons move in the same direction. We present a theoretical model which describes this effect.

Physical Review Letters

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Pushing Photons with Electrons: Observation of the Polariton Drag Effect

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Pushing Photons with Electrons: Observation of the Polariton Drag Effect

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