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Theory of Polariton Solitons in Semiconductor Microcavities

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Nonlinear Photonics and Novel Optical Phenomena

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Optical Sciences ((SSOS,volume 170))

Abstract

We review the physics behind the formation of localized states of exciton-polaritons, or polariton solitons, in semiconductor microresonators operating in the strong coupling regime. We describe the properties of polariton solitons existing in the vicinity of both the lower- and upper-polariton branches and discuss their linear stability. Strength and sign of polariton dispersion can be controlled by changing the transverse momentum of the pump beam which leads to new degrees of freedom in soliton formation. In particular, we show that pump momenta associated with a positive polariton mass, occurring near the bottom of the lower-polariton branch, favor the formation of stable two- (2D) and one-dimensional (1D) dark solitons. Polaritons with a large momentum exhibit a negative effective mass and lead to the formation of moving 1D bright solitons. An important feature of the strong light–matter interaction is that it allows the existence of 2D bright solitons having a negative effective mass along the direction of the pump momentum and a positive effective mass along the orthogonal direction. Saturation of photon–exciton coupling can support stable bright solitons near the upper-polariton branch above the excitonic resonance. Taking into account the finite mass of excitons leads to modulational instability (filamentation) of the transverse soliton profile and the generation of free excitons. This instability either entails the generation of stationary nanoscale periodic patterns localized on the soliton background or to an explosive oscillatory soliton dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (PhoNa)as well as from the UK EPSRC project EP/D079225/1 and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Research unit 532) is acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Condensed Matter Theory and Solid State Optics, Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743, Jena, Germany

    O. A. Egorov & F. Lederer

  2. Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    D. V. Skryabin

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  1. O. A. Egorov
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  2. D. V. Skryabin
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  3. F. Lederer
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Correspondence to O. A. Egorov .

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  1. , Physics & Astronomy, San Francisco State University, Holloway Ave 1600, San Francisco, 94132, USA

    Zhigang Chen

  2. INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, boul. Lionel-Boulet 1650, Varennes, J3X 1S2, Canada

    Roberto Morandotti

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Egorov, O.A., Skryabin, D.V., Lederer, F. (2012). Theory of Polariton Solitons in Semiconductor Microcavities. In: Chen, Z., Morandotti, R. (eds) Nonlinear Photonics and Novel Optical Phenomena. Springer Series in Optical Sciences, vol 170. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3538-9_6

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