Spontaneous vortices in optically shaped potential profiles in semiconductor microcavities Article uri icon

abstract

  • We investigate the spontaneous formation of quantized vortices in microcavity polariton high density phases. Condensates formed in the optical parametric oscillator excitation scheme reveal single vortices in the case of a ring-shaped optical potential or in the presence of natural photonic disorder. We further investigate the dynamics of vortex formation for resonantly injected polaritons and observe the formation of vortex-antivortex pairs, but no single vortices. The observed effects are explained by the interplay between breaking of ya-y reflection symmetry in the system and conservation of optical angular momentum. © 2013 American Physical Society.

publication date

  • 2013-01-01