Pattern formation in non-equilibrium spinor polariton condensates

[摘要] Non-equilibrium polariton condensates entangle properties of lasers, atomic Bose- Einstein condensates (BEC) and semiconductor physics. They provide a great variety of physical phenomena while maintaining a simple theoretical description. Among those phenomena are nonlinear excitations such as solitons or spontaneous spin bifurcations. In this paper I first present a short overview on the theoretical basis of polaritons. Then starting from a scenario of excitation generation in equilibrium BEC I turn to corresponding phenomenona in polariton condensates such as dark soliton formation. Later the spin sensitive phenomena such as nonequilibrium bright solitons and half-bright solitons in semiconductor microcavities are discussed. Theoretically all the considered scenarios are described by partial differential equations (PDEs) and coupled systems thereof. The system of PDEs defines a so called condensate wave function, which completely describes the experimental relevant aspects of the physical system in a certain parameter regime where condensation occurs. The developed theories enables us particularly to make a variety of statements about excitations such as solitons and half-solitons in spinor systems forming within a non-equilibrium condensate. It turns out that by those means we can elucidate in particular the experimental implementation of a coherent superposition analog in a spin sensitive setting forming a macroscopic QUBIT within the semiconductor microcavity at temperatures in the Kelvin range.

[发布机构] Department of Atomic and Laser Physics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom^1

[效力级别] 数学

[关键词] Atomic Bose-Einstein condensate;Coherent superpositions;Non-equilibrium condensates;Nonlinear excitation;Partial Differential Equations (PDEs);Polariton condensates;Semiconductor microcavities;Semiconductor physics