Double ring polariton condensates with polariton vortices

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation of superfluid polariton currents and vortices in annular condensates within micropillar cavities, highlighting how gain-loss engineering enables access to excited states and vortex formation.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control polariton condensate states and vortices through gain-loss balance in complex annular traps, combining theoretical and experimental approaches.

Findings

Vortices form in double concentric ring polariton condensates.

Engineering gain-loss balance accesses excited condensate states.

Experimental and theoretical results confirm vortex formation.

Abstract

We study formation of superfluid currents of exciton polaritons in annular polariton condensates in a cylindrical micropillar cavity under the spatially localised nonresonant optical pumping. Since polariton condensates are strongly nonequilibrium systems, the trapping potential for polaritons, formed by the pillar edge and the reservoir of optically induced incoherent excitons, is complex in general case. Its imaginary part includes the spatially distributed gain from the pump and losses of polaritons in the condensate. We show that engineering the gain-loss balance in the micropillar plane gives access to the excited states of the polariton condensate. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally formation of vortices in double concentric ring polariton condensates in the complex annular trap potential.