Optical bistability in electrically driven polariton condensates
Abstract
We observe a bistability in an electrically driven polariton condensate, which is manifested by a memory dependent threshold characteristic. In contrast to the polariton bistabilities previously observed in resonantly optically pumped microcavities, our effect occurs under nonresonant electric pumping and is triggered by the current injection scheme. We explain the origin of the bistability by a dependence of the electron-hole tunneling lifetime on the carrier density in the embedded quantum wells. The field screening effect creates a positive feedback loop, which yields the bistable behavior of the condensate. We develop a rate-equation-based model which qualitatively explains the occurrence of the hysteresis under current injection, its reduction with increased magnetic field, and the absence of bistability under optical pumping.
Citation
Amthor , M , Liew , T C H , Metzger , C , Brodbeck , S , Worschech , L , Kamp , M , Shelykh , I A , Kavokin , A V , Schneider , C & Höfling , S 2015 , ' Optical bistability in electrically driven polariton condensates ' , Physical Review. B, Condensed matter and materials physics , vol. 91 , no. 8 . https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.081404
Publication
Physical Review. B, Condensed matter and materials physics
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1098-0121Type
Journal article
Rights
©2015 American Physical Society. Reproduced in accordance with the APS transfer of copyright agreement.
Description
The authors would like to thank the State of Bavaria for financial support. I.A.S. acknowledges the support of FP7 IRSES project POLAPHEN. S.H. gratefully acknowledges support by the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation. A.V.K. acknowledges financial support from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (Contract No. 11.G34.31.0067 with SPbSU), and EU projects POLAPHEN, SPANGL4Q, and LIMACONA.Collections
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