Josephson Effect for Photons in Two Weakly Linked Microcavities

We describe an optical system that allows for direct observation of the photonic Josephson effects in two weakly linked microcavities containing ultracold two-level atoms. We show that, by moving the ultracold atoms within one cavity, we could simulate an analogous superconducting circuit and realize both the alternating- and direct-current (ac and dc) photonic Josephson effects. This provides a strategy for constructing novel interference devices of coherent photons and enables new investigations of the effect of many-body physics in strongly coupled atom-cavity systems.