Onset of vortex clustering and inverse energy cascade in dissipative quantum fluids

The turbulent dynamics of a 2D quantum fluid of exciton–polaritons is measured in a planar AlGaAs microcavity after a pulsed optical excitation. Clear evidence of both the onset of vortex clustering and inverse energy cascade is provided. Turbulent phenomena are among the most striking effects that both classical and quantum fluids can exhibit. Although classical turbulence is ubiquitous in nature, the observation of quantum turbulence requires the precise manipulation of quantum fluids such as superfluid helium or atomic Bose–Einstein condensates. Here we demonstrate the turbulent dynamics of a two-dimensional quantum fluid of exciton–polaritons, hybrid light–matter quasiparticles, both by measuring the kinetic energy spectrum and showing the onset of vortex clustering. We demonstrate that the formation of clusters of quantum vortices is triggered by the increase of the incompressible kinetic energy per vortex, showing the tendency of the vortex-gas towards highly excited configurations despite the dissipative nature of our system. These results lay the basis for investigations of quantum turbulence in two-dimensional fluids of light.