Dissipative phase locking of exciton-polariton condensates

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of dissipative coupling causing phase locking in exciton-polariton condensates, with experimental and theoretical evidence showing phase relationships and spontaneous vorticity in driven boson systems.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of dissipative coupling in driven boson systems and demonstrates its effects in exciton-polariton condensates experimentally and theoretically.

Findings

Dissipative coupling induces phase locking between condensates.

Phase locking can be in-phase or out-of-phase depending on distance.

Spontaneous vorticity appears with multiple excited spots.

Abstract

We demonstrate, both experimentally and theoretically, a new phenomenon: the presence of dissipative coupling in the system of driven bosons. This is evidenced for a particular case of externally excited spots of exciton-polariton condensates in semiconductor microcavities. We observe that for two spatially separated condensates the dissipative coupling leads to the phase locking, either in-phase or out-of-phase, between the condensates. The effect depends on the distance between the condensates. For several excited spots, we observe the appearance of spontaneous vorticity in the system.