Metamorphoses of the flow past an obstacle of a resonantly driven bistable polariton fluid

Motivated by recent experiments, we theoretically analyze the flow past an obstacle of a one-dimensional quantum fluid of light, which is resonantly driven, and exhibits bistability. The flow is found to abruptly change several times when the fluid velocity or the obstacle potential strength is increased. These transitions display unusual features. In contrast to the cases of usual fluids and superfluids, the transitions take place between stationary states. They involve the fluid bistability in an essential way. Remarkably, at the transitions points, the fluid in the obstacle wake lies in the unstable intermediate density state.

Automated summary

Motivated by recent experiments, this article theoretically analyzes the flow past an obstacle of a one-dimensional quantum fluid of light, which is resonantly driven and exhibits bistability. The flow undergoes multiple abrupt transitions when the fluid velocity or the obstacle potential strength is increased. Unlike usual fluids and superfluids, these transitions occur between stationary states and are closely related to the fluid bistability. Interestingly, at the transition points, the fluid in the obstacle wake is in an unstable intermediate density state.