Oriented polaritons in strongly-coupled asymmetric double quantum well microcavities

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the formation of oriented polaritons in asymmetric double quantum well microcavities, which have enhanced dipole moments enabling lower-threshold polariton lasing and nonlinear optical effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel type of polariton, oriented polaritons, formed via voltage-tuned asymmetric double quantum wells in microcavities, enhancing dipole moments for improved nonlinear interactions.

Findings

Oriented polaritons exhibit greatly enhanced dipole moments.

Voltage tuning aligns electron levels to achieve resonant tunnelling.

Potential for lower-threshold polariton lasing and nonlinear optical effects.

Abstract

Replacing independent single quantum wells inside a strongly-coupled semiconductor microcavity with double quantum wells produces a special type of polariton. Using asymmetric double quantum wells in devices processed into mesas allows the alignment of the electron levels to be voltage-tuned. At the resonant electronic tunnelling condition, we demonstrate that `oriented polaritons' are formed, which possess greatly enhanced dipole moments. Since the polariton-polariton scattering rate depends on this dipole moment, such devices could reach polariton lasing, condensation and optical nonlinearities at much lower threshold powers.