We have performed real and momentum space spin-dependent spectroscopy of spontaneously formed exciton polariton condensates for a non-resonant pumping scheme. Under linearly polarized pump, our results can be understood in terms of spin-dependent Bol
tzmann equations in a two-state model. This suggests that relaxation into the ground state occurs after multiple phonon scattering events and only one polariton-polariton scattering. For the circular pumping case, in which only excitons of one spin are injected, a bottleneck effect is observed, implying inefficient relaxation.
We present a simple method to create an in-plane lateral potential in a semiconductor microcavity using a metal thin-film. Two types of potential are produced: a circular aperture and a one-dimensional (1D) periodic grating pattern. The amplitude of
the potential induced by a 24 nm-6 nm Au/Ti film is on the order of a few hundreds of ueV measured at 6 ~ 8 K. Since the metal layer makes the electromagnetic fields to be close to zero at the metal-semiconductor interface, the photon mode is confined more inside of the cavity. As a consequence, the effective cavity length is reduced under the metal film, and the corresponding cavity resonance is blue-shifted. Our experimental results are in a good agreement with theoretical estimates. In addition, by applying a DC electric voltage to the metal film, we are able to modify the quantum well exciton mode due to the quantum confined Stark effect, inducing a ~ 1 meV potential at ~ 20 kV/cm. Our method produces a controllable in-plane spatial trap potential for lower exciton-polaritons (LPs), which can be a building block towards 1D arrays and 2D lattices of LP condensates.
