Objective
The present project aims at a multi-disciplinary investigation of recently discovered nonlinear optical effects in dense exciton-polariton systems in planar semiconductor microcavities. It brings together material physicists fabricating resonator microcavity structures with photon confinement of different dimensionality, experimentalists with a large expertise in different spectroscopic techniques, and theoreticians with great experience in exciton theory, optical properties of semiconductors, nanostructures. The microcavities of interest are heterostructures based on III-V and II-VI semiconductors in which the strong coupling regime of exciton and photon modes is obtained. In particular we will focus on structures with a relatively small exciton-cavity mode detuning providing strong exciton-photon mixing of the polariton modes.
The objectives of the proposal are:
i) evaluating the potential of these microcavity structures for obtaining excitonic lasers;
ii) studying possibilities to control the exciton-photon entanglement in the strong coupling
regime and to identify methods how it can be used for quantum information processing;
iii) fundamental understanding of the physical parameters governing polariton-polariton
interactions in microcavities;
iv) study of new optical phenomena which occur when the exciton system is in a coherent
state;
v) investigation of intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to optical nonlinearities in
microcavities;
vi) establishing a theoretical formalism for the description of nonlinearities in a polariton
system with macrofilled occupation.
The consortium consists of 5 internationally leading teams (three from NIS and 2 from INTAS member states) having established dedicated skills in semiconductor technologies, experimental and theoretical fields required to successfully execute the tasks. The scientific equipment necessary for performing the tasks of the project is available within the consortium. As indicated by a large number of joint publications on a variety of topics by two or more partners of the proposal, we expect very efficient and fruitful interactions e.g. via visits and electronic information exchange in the project.
Taking into account the importance of and the current interest in nonlinear effects in micorcavities, it is anticipated that the project will result in publication of a considerable number of original journal and conference papers. It will thus contribute significantly to the progress in modern semiconductor science and to the development of the new optoelectronic devices, in particular lasers based on microcavities and basic building blocks for quantum information processing.
Call for proposal
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97074 Würzburg
Germany