In this Chapter we address the physics of Bose-Einstein condensation and its implications to a driven-dissipative system such as the polariton laser. We discuss the dynamics of exciton-polaritons non-resonantly pumped within a microcavity in the strong coupling regime. It is shown how the stimulated scattering of exciton-polaritons leads to formation of bosonic condensates that may be stable at elevated temperatures, including room temperature.
This chapter presents experimental studies performed on planar semiconductor microcavities in the strong-coupling regime. The first section reviews linear experiments performed in the 1990s that evidence the linear optical properties of cavity exciton-polaritons. The chapter is then focused on experimental and theoretical studies of resonantly excited microcavity emission. We mainly describe experimental configuations in which stimulated scattering was observed due to formation of a dynamical condensate of polaritons. Pump-probe and cw experiments are described in addition. Dressing of the polariton dispersion and bistability of the polariton system due to inter-condensate interactions are discussed. The semiclassical and the quantum theories of these effects are presented and their results analysed. The potential for realization of devices is also discussed.
Quantum emitter interacting with graphene coating in the strong-coupling regime
