Azimuthons and pattern formation in annularly confined exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensates

Abstract

We present numerical analysis of steady states in a two-component (spinor) driven-dissipative quantum fluid formed by condensed exciton-polaritons in an annular optically induced trap. We demonstrate that an incoherent ring-shaped optical pump creating the exciton-polariton confinement supports the existence of stationary and rotating azimuthon steady states with azimuthally modulated density. Such states can be imprinted by coherent light pulses with a defined orbital angular momentum, as well as generated spontaneously in the presence of thermal noise.