Emergence and stability of spontaneous vortex lattices in exciton-polariton condensates

Abstract

The spontaneous formation of lattice structure of quantized vortices is a characteristic feature of superfluidity in closed systems under thermal equilibrium. In exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensate, which is a typical example of macroscopic quantum state in open systems, spontaneous vortex lattices have also been proposed by not yet observed. Here, we take into account the finite decay rate of exciton reservoir, and theoretically investigate the vortex structures in circularly pumped polariton Bose-Einstein condensate. Our results show that a decreasing reservoir decay rate can reduce the number of vortices and destabilize the lattice structure, hence is unfavorable to the formation and observation of vortex lattices. These detrimental effects can be prevailed by applying an external angular momentum.