We review the recent developments of the polariton physics in microcavities featuring the exciton–photon strong coupling at room temperature, and leading to the achievement of room-temperature polariton condensates. Such cavities embed active layers with robust excitons that present a large binding energy and a large oscillator strength, i.e. wide bandgap inorganic or organic semiconductors, or organic molecules. These various systems are compared, in terms of figures of merit and of common features related to their strong oscillator strength. The various demonstrations of polariton laser are compared, as well as their condensation phase diagrams. The room-temperature operation indeed allows a detailed investigation of the thermodynamic and out-of-equilibrium regimes of the condensation process. The crucial role of the spatial dynamics of the condensate formation is discussed, as well as the debated issue of the mechanism of stimulated relaxation from the reservoir to the condensate under non-resonant excitation. Finally the prospects of polariton devices are presented.
Cette article de revue est consacré aux récents développements de la physique des polaritons dans les microcavités présentant le couplage fort exciton–photon à température ambiante, aboutissant à la réalisation de condensats de polaritons à température ambiante. De telles cavités contiennent des couches actives spécifiques, dont les excitons présentent une grande énergie de liaison et une grande force d'oscillateur, i.e. des semiconducteurs à grand gap ou organiques, ou des molécules organiques. Les différents systèmes étudiés à ce jour sont comparés, sur la base de leurs figures de mérites et de leurs propriétés communes liées à leur grande force d'oscillateur. Cette comparaison s'étend ensuite aux différentes démonstrations de laser à polariton, et aux diagrammes des phases correspondant. Le fonctionnement à température ambiante permet en effet une étude détaillée des régimes thermodynamique vs hors d'équilibre du processus de condensation. Le rôle crucial de la dynamique spatiale de formation du condensat est aussi abordé, ainsi que la question encore débattue du mécanisme de relaxation stimulée depuis le réservoir jusqu'au condensat dans le cas de l'excitation non résonante. Enfin, les enjeux des dispositifs polaritoniques sont présentés.
Thierry Guillet 1; Christelle Brimont 1
@article{CRPHYS_2016__17_8_946_0, author = {Thierry Guillet and Christelle Brimont}, title = {Polariton condensates at room temperature}, journal = {Comptes Rendus. Physique}, pages = {946--956}, publisher = {Elsevier}, volume = {17}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, doi = {10.1016/j.crhy.2016.07.002}, language = {en}, }
Thierry Guillet; Christelle Brimont. Polariton condensates at room temperature. Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 17 (2016) no. 8, pp. 946-956. doi : 10.1016/j.crhy.2016.07.002. https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.1016/j.crhy.2016.07.002/
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