Polarization multistability of cavity polaritons

TL;DR

This paper predicts and analyzes polarization multistability and hysteresis in a coherently driven polariton condensate, highlighting a novel effect with potential for low-power optical applications.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of polarization multistability in polariton condensates driven coherently, driven by polarization-dependent interactions, and suggests experimental observability at low power.

Findings

Polarization multistability can be observed in photoluminescence experiments.

The required pumping power is four orders of magnitude lower than in conventional bistable systems.

Polarization hysteresis effects are theoretically predicted in polariton condensates.

Abstract

New effects of polarization multistability and polarization hysteresis in a coherently driven polariton condensate in a semiconductor microcavity are predicted and theoretically analyzed. The multistability arises due to polarization-dependent polariton-polariton interactions and can be revealed in polarization resolved photoluminescence experiments. The pumping power required to observe this effect is of 4 orders of magnitude lower than the characteristic pumping power in conventional bistable optical systems.