Spatial pattern formation and polarization dynamics of a nonequilibrium spinor polariton condensate

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.81.235302· OSTI ID:21386745

Borgh, Magnus O; Berloff, Natalia G ^[1]; Keeling, Jonathan ^[2]

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1. Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0WA (United Kingdom)
2. Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom)

Quasiparticles in semiconductors--such as microcavity polaritons--can form condensates in which the steady-state density profile is set by the balance of pumping and decay. By taking account of the polarization degree of freedom for a polariton condensate, and considering the effects of an applied magnetic field, we theoretically discuss the interplay between polarization dynamics, and the spatial structure of the pumped decaying condensate. If spatial structure is neglected, this dynamics has attractors that are linearly polarized condensates (fixed points), and desynchronized solutions (limit cycles), with a range of bistability. Considering spatial fluctuations about the fixed point, the collective spin modes can either be diffusive, linearly dispersing, or gapped. Including spatial structure, interactions between the spin components can influence the dynamics of vortices; produce stable complexes of vortices and rarefaction pulses with both co- and counter-rotating polarizations; and increase the range of possible limit cycles for the polarization dynamics, with different attractors displaying different spatial structures.

• OSTI ID: 21386745
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 81, Issue 23; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.81.235302; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CONDENSATES
DEGREES OF FREEDOM
DENSITY
FLUCTUATIONS
INTERACTIONS
LIMIT CYCLE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
POLARIZATION
POLARONS
PUMPING
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPIN
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
ATTRACTORS
MATERIALS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASI PARTICLES
VARIATIONS