Towards cavity and resonant control of superconductivity

14.01.2026 13:00 – 14:00

The quest to steer correlated phases in quantum materials with light has progressed rapidly. Early advances in Floquet engineering—where periodic drives reshape electronic structure—established the promise of band and interaction control, but also exposed intrinsic limitations from heating and decoherence [1]. A complementary frontier is now emerging with cavity quantum materials: embedding solids in optical resonators whose quantum fluctuations hybridize with collective matter excitations, enabling correlation control even in (near-)equilibrium [2]. Building on our theoretical proposal that cavity environments can enhance electron–phonon couplings and influence superconductivity [3], I will connect to new experiments from Basov’s group demonstrating polaritonic control of superconductivity in a molecular conductor coupled to a hyperbolic material [4], highlighting cavity embedding as a pathway distinct from conventional Floquet driving.

In parallel, I will show first results [8] of our microscopic study of light-induced superconducting-like responses in K₃C₆₀. Motivated by the Cavalleri group’s experiments that reveal a pronounced 10-THz resonance under mid-infrared excitation [5,6], we simulate a realistic multi-orbital model on finite clusters under periodic drive. We find a sharp enhancement of pairing correlations when the drive is tuned near 10 THz, matching experimental observations and supporting an interpretation tied to superconducting pairing—rather than purely optical or nonthermal population effects. I will comment on the microscopic origin of this resonance and its implications for a light-induced hidden phase [7].

Together, these threads delineate a unified vision: resonant driving and cavity embedding as complementary routes to engineer superconductivity and competing orders in quantum materials.

References:
[1] de la Torre et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 93, 041002 (2021).
[2] Schlawin et al., Appl. Phys. Rev. 9, 011312 (2022).
[3] Sentef et al., Sci. Adv. 5, eaau6969 (2019).
[4] Keren et al., arXiv:2505.17378 (2025).
[5] Mitrano et al., Nature 530, 461–464 (2016).
[6] Rowe et al., Nat. Phys. 19, 1821–1826 (2023).
[7] Budden et al., Nat. Phys. 17, 611–618 (2021).
[8] Aranzadi, Tindall, Fadler, Sentef, forthcoming (2026).

Lieu

Bâtiment: Ecole de Physique

Salle MaNEP

entrée libre