Majorana-Like Modes of Light in a One-Dimensional Array of Nonlinear Cavities

The search for Majorana fermions in p-wave paired fermionic systems has recently moved to the forefront of condensed-matter research. Here we propose an alternative route and show theoretically that Majorana-like modes can be realized and probed in a driven-dissipative system of strongly correlated photons consisting of a chain of tunnel-coupled cavities, where p-wave pairing effectively arises from the interplay between strong on-site interactions and two-photon parametric driving. The nonlocal nature of these exotic modes could be demonstrated through cross-correlation measurements carried out at the ends of the chain—revealing a strong photon bunching signature—and their non-Abelian properties could be simulated through tunnel-braid operations.