Spontaneous Polarization Buildup in a Room-Temperature Polariton Laser

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.101.136409
• Publication Date: 2008-09-26T23:28:43Z
• Authors: J. J. Baumberg; A. V. Kavokin; S. Christopoulos; A. J. D. Grundy; R. Butté; G. Christmann; D. D. Solnyshkov; G. Malpuech; G. Baldassarri Hö...; E. Feltin; J.-F. Carlin; N. Grandjean
• Keywords: POLARITONS; [PHYS]Physics [physics]; Condensed Matter - Materials Science; SEMICONDUCTOR MICROCAVITY; 0103 physical sciences; BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION; Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci); FOS: Physical sciences; EXCITON; 530; 01 natural sciences

We observe the buildup of strong ($\ensuremath{\sim}50%$) spontaneous vector polarization in emission from a GaN-based polariton laser excited by short optical pulses at room temperature. The Stokes emitted light changes its orientation randomly one excitation pulse to another, so that time-integrated remains zero. This behavior is completely different any previous laser. interpret this observation terms symmetry breaking Bose-Einstein condensate exciton polaritons.