Spontaneous self-ordered states of vortex-antivortex pairs in a Polariton Condensate

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the spontaneous formation of ordered vortex-antivortex pairs in polariton condensates, providing insights into topological defect dynamics and vortex lattice formation using experimental observations and a mean-field model.

Contribution

It reveals the spontaneous self-organization of vortex-antivortex pairs in polariton condensates and supports this with a generalized Gross-Pitaevskii model.

Findings

Observation of spontaneous vortex-antivortex pair formation

Reproduction of phenomena with a mean-field model

Insights into topological defect ordering in condensates

Abstract

Polariton condensates have proved to be model systems to investigate topological defects, as they allow for direct and non-destructive imaging of the condensate complex order parameter. The fundamental topological excitations of such systems are quantized vortices. In specific configurations, further ordering can bring the formation of vortex lattices. In this work we demonstrate the spontaneous formation of ordered vortical states, consisting in geometrically self-arranged vortex-antivortex pairs. A mean-field generalized Gross-Pitaevskii model reproduces and supports the physics of the observed phenomenology.