Polarized polariton condensates and coupled XY models

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phase diagram of polarized microcavity polariton condensates, comparing theoretical approximations and exact results, and explores how symmetry breaking affects phase boundaries.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the phase diagram for polarized polariton condensates, highlighting the limitations of the Bogoliubov approximation and the effectiveness of the Hartree-Fock-Popov method.

Findings

Hartree-Fock-Popov approximation aligns well with exact results

Bogoliubov approximation has limitations in describing phase transitions

Symmetry breaking terms influence phase boundary locations

Abstract

Microcavity polaritons, which at low temperatures can condense to a macroscopic coherent state, possess a polarization degree of freedom. This article discusses the phase diagram of such a system, showing the boundaries between differently polarized condensates. The Bogoliubov approximation is shown to have problems in describing the transition between differently polarized phases; the Hartree-Fock-Popov approximation performs better, and compares well to exact results that can be used in the limit where the left- and right-circular polarization states decouple. The effect on the phase boundary of various symmetry breaking terms present in real microcavities are also considered.