Reconstruction of Exciton-Polariton Condensates in 1D Periodic Structures

Abstract

We demonstrate the reconstruction of the exciton-polariton condensate loaded in a single active miniband in one-dimensional microcavity wires with a complex-valued periodic potentials. The effect appears due to strong polariton-polariton repulsion and it depends on the type of the single-particle dispersion of the miniband, which can be fine tuned by the real and imaginary components of the potential. As a result, the condensate can be formed in a $0$-state, $\pi$-state, or mixed state of spatiotemporal intermittency, depending on the shape of the miniband, strength of interparticle interaction, and distribution of losses in the system. The reconstruction of the condensate wave function takes place by proliferation of nuclei of the new condensate phase in the form of dark solitons. We show that, in general, the interacting polaritons are not condensed in the state with minimal losses, neither they accumulate in the state with a well-defined wave vector.