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Polariton dynamics and Bose-Einstein condensation in semiconductor microcavities

2002; American Physical Society; Volume: 66; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physrevb.66.085304

1095-3795

Diego Porras, Cristiano Ciuti, Jeremy J. Baumberg, C. Tejedor,

Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research

We present a theoretical model that allows us to describe the polariton dynamics in a semiconductor microcavity at large densities, for the case of nonresonant excitation. Exciton-polariton scattering from a thermalized exciton reservoir is identified as the main mechanism for relaxation into the lower polariton states. A maximum in the polariton distribution that shifts towards lower energies with increasing pump power or temperature is shown, in agreement with recent experiments. Above a critical pump power, macroscopic occupancies $(5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{4})$ can be achieved in the lowest-energy polariton state. Our model predicts the possibility of Bose-Einstein condensation of polaritons, driven by exciton-polariton interaction, at densities well below the saturation density for CdTe microcavities.