Ivan A. Shelykh

Polariton polarization-sensitive phenomena in planar semiconductor microcavities

From a theoretical point of view, we discuss a variety of phenomena linked to the spin and polarization degree of freedom of exciton-polaritons in semiconductor microcavities. We start with linear optical effects including the optical spin Hall effect, formation of polarization vortices and ballistic propagation of polarized exciton-polaritons. Next, the interplay between spin-dependent dynamics and Bose condensation in the 2D system of microcavity polaritons is addressed. Theoretically, this many-body system of interacting particles is described by the spinor Gross-Pitaevskii equations. These equations provide a description of the time evolution of polarized polariton fields under different conditions of optical excitation as well as an understanding of the phenomena of superfluidity, multistability and hysteresis via renormalization of the dispersion of elementary excitations. The comprehension of polarization-sensitive dynamics can be made through the introduction of several effective fields of different nature acting on the polariton pseudospin. The theory of parametric scattering of exciton-polaritons is presented, using the second quantization formalism. It is found that the combination of nonlinearity and various mechanisms of spin reorientation leads to self-organization and the formation of polarized patterns such as polarization crosses, vortices and rings. The manipulation of polariton spins can lead to various applications in signal processing, including the construction of optical logic gates and spin memory elements; the creation of spin currents; and the control of polarized signal propagation in the microcavity plane. The concept of polariton neurons is discussed in this connection.

Hybrid states of Tamm plasmons and exciton polaritons

Channeling of exciton polaritons in the plane of semiconductor microcavities can be achieved by the deposition of metallic mesas on the top of the semiconductor structure. We show theoretically that the regime of strong coupling between cavity polaritons and Tamm surface plasmons is possible in such structures. The effect is favorable for the spatial confinement of polaritons and the formation of hybrid one-dimensional plasmon-polariton modes.

Exciton-polariton mediated superconductivity.

We revisit the exciton mechanism of superconductivity in the framework of microcavity physics, replacing virtual excitons as a binding agent of Cooper pairs by excitations of an exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate. We consider a model microcavity where a quantum well with a two-dimensional electron gas is sandwiched between two undoped quantum wells, where a polariton condensate is formed. We show that the critical temperature for superconductivity dramatically increases with the condensate population, opening a new route towards high-temperature superconductivity.

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Terahertz Laser

Vertical cavity surface emitting terahertz lasers can be realized in conventional semiconductor microcavities with embedded quantum wells in the strong coupling regime. The cavity is to be pumped optically at half the frequency of the 2p exciton state. Once a threshold population of 2p excitons is achieved, a stimulated terahertz transition populates the lower exciton-polariton branch, and the cavity starts emitting laser light both in the optical and terahertz ranges. The lasing threshold is sensitive to the statistics of photons of the pumping light.

Stimulated emission of terahertz radiation by exciton-polariton lasers

We show that planar semiconductor microcavities in the strong coupling regime can be used as sources of stimulated terahertz radiation. Emitted terahertz photons would have a frequency equal to the splitting of the cavity polariton modes. The optical transition between upper and lower polariton branches is allowed due to mixing of the upper polariton state with one of the excited exciton states and is stimulated in the polariton laser regime.

Topological stability of the half-vortices in spinor exciton-polariton condensates

Half vortices have been recently shown to be the elementary topological defects supported by a spinor cavity exciton-polaritons condensates with spin anisotropic interactions (Y. G. Rubo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 106401 (2007)). A half vortex is composed by an integer vortex for one circular component of the condensate, whereas the other component remain static. We analyze theoretically the effect of the splitting between TE and TM polarized eigen modes on the structure of the vortices in this system. For TE and TM modes, the polarization states depend on the direction of propagations of particles and imposes some well defined phase relation between the two circular component. As a result elementary topogical defects in this system are no more half vortices but integer vortices correspond to an integer vortex for both circular components of the condensate. The intrinsic life time of half vortices is given and the texture of a few vortex states is analyzed.

Optomechanics with cavity polaritons: dissipative coupling and unconventional bistability.

We study a hybrid system formed from an optomechanical resonator and a cavity mode strongly coupled to an excitonic transition inside a quantum well. We show that due to the mixing of cavity photon and exciton states, the emergent quasiparticles-polaritons-possess coupling to the mechanical mode of both a dispersive and dissipative nature. We calculate the occupancies of polariton modes and reveal bistable behavior, which deviates from conventional Kerr nonlinearity or dispersive coupling cases due to the dissipative coupling. The described system serves as a good candidate for future polaritonic devices.

Tunable single-photon emission from dipolaritons

We study a system comprising of a double quantum well embedded in a micropillar optical cavity, where strong coupling between a direct exciton, an indirect exciton, and a cavity photon is achieved. We show that the resulting hybrid quasiparticles---dipolaritons---can induce strong photon correlations and lead to antibunched behavior of the cavity output field. The origin of the observed single-photon emission is attributed to unconventional photon blockade. We find that the second-order equal-time correlation function

Nonlinear terahertz emission in semiconductor microcavities.

{g}^{(2)}(0)

Control of electronic transport in graphene by electromagnetic dressing.

can be tuned over a large range by using an electric field applied to the structure, or by changing the frequency of the pump. This allows for on-the-flight control of cavity output properties and is important for the future generation of tunable single-photon-emission sources.