The Physics of Semiconductor Microcavities – From Fundamentals to Nanoscale Devices

Editor Benoit Deveaud is director of the 'Institute of Quantum Photonics and Electronics' at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. The institute focuses on a wide range of research topis ranging from quantum description of light and light-matter interactions to the very direct applications of such concepts in the information and communication technologies. His team takes an active part in the "Photonics Quantum" National Center of excellence, of which he is the Director since July 1, 2005. He is a also divisional editor of Physical Review Letters since 2001.

Preface.List of Contributors.1 Fifteen Years of Microcavity Polaritons (Vincenzo Savona).1.1 Introduction.1.2 The Past.1.3 The Present.1.4 The Future.1.5 Conclusions.References.2 MBE Growth of High Finesse Microcavities (Ursula Oesterle, Ross P. Stanley, and Romuald Houdre).2.1 Introduction.2.2 Principles of MBE Growth.2.3 Characterization and Properties of Vertical Cavity Structure.2.4 Conclusion.References.3 Early Stages of Continuous Wave Experiments on Cavity-Polaritons (Romuald Houdre).3.1 Introduction (1992).3.2 First Liquid Nitrogen and RoomTemperature Observation (1993).3.3 Cavity-Polariton Dispersion Curve (1994).3.4 Bleaching of the Oscillator Strength (1995).3.5 Continuous Wave Photoluminescence Experiments (1995-1996).3.6 Linewidth, Disorder Effects and Linear Dispersion Modelling (1995-1997).3.7 Rayleigh Scattering (2000).3.8 Nonlinear Continuous Wave Effects (1999-2000).3.9 Conclusion.References.4 Exciton-Polaritons and Nanoscale Cavities in Photonic Crystal Slabs (Lucio Claudio Andreani, Dario Gerace, and Mario Agio).4.1 Introduction.4.2 Mode Dispersion and Linewidths in Photonic Crystal Slabs.4.3 Exciton-Polaritons in Photonic Crystal Slabs.4.4 Nanoscale Cavities in Photonic Crystal Slabs.4.5 Strong Exciton-Light Coupling in Nanocavities.4.6 Conclusions.References.5 Parametric Amplification and Polariton Liquids in Semiconductor Microcavities (Jeremy J. Baumberg and Pavlos G. Lagoudakis).5.1 Introduction.5.2 Parametric Scattering at the Magic Angle.5.3 Local Deformations of the Dispersion: Beyond Pair Scattering.5.4 Historical Perspective (JJB).References.6 QuantumFluid Effects and Parametric Instabilities in Microcavities (Cristiano Ciuti and Iacopo Carusotto).6.1 Preface.6.2 Introduction.6.3 Hamiltonian and Polariton Mean-Field Equations.6.4 Stationary Solutions in the Homogeneous Case.6.5 Linearized Bogoliubov-Like Theory.6.6 Response to a Static Potential: Resonant Rayleigh Scattering.6.7 Conclusions.References.7 Non-Linear Dynamical Effects in Semiconductor Microcavities (Jean-Louis Staehli, Stefan Kundermann, Michele Saba, Christiano Ciuti, Augustin Baas, Thierry Guillet, and Benoit Deveaud).7.1 Introduction.7.2 Experimental.7.3 A Simple Theoretical Model.7.4 Coherent Control.7.5 Measurements Resolved in Real Time.7.6 Conclusions.References.8 Polariton Correlation in Microcavities Produced by Parametric Scattering (Wolfgang Langbein).8.1 Introduction.8.2 Investigated Sample and Experimental Details.8.3 Parametric Scattering for a Single Pump Direction.8.4 Parametric Scattering for Two Pump Directions.8.5 Polariton QuantumComplementarity by Parametric Scattering.8.6 Conclusions.References.9 Spin Dynamics of Exciton Polaritons in Microcavities (Ivan A. Shelykh, Alexei V. Kavokin, and Guillaume Malpuech).9.1 Introduction.9.2 Experimental Results.9.3 Pseudospin Formalismand Pseudospin Rotation.9.4 Interplay Between Spin and Energy Relaxation.9.5 Spin-Dynamics of Polariton-Polariton Scattering.9.6 Perspective: Toward "Spin-Optronic" Devices.References.10 Bose-Einstein Condensation of Microcavity Polaritons (Vincenzo Savona and Davide Sarchi).10.1 Introduction.10.2 Bose-Einstein Condensation: Basic Facts.10.3 Review of Exciton and Polariton BEC.10.4 Some Considerations on Microcavity Polariton BEC.10.5 Afterword.References.11 Polariton Squeezing in Microcavities (Antonio Quattropani and Paolo Schwendimann).11.1 Introduction.11.2 Squeezed States.11.3 Intrinsic Squeezing of Polaritons.11.4 Squeezing for Interacting Microcavity Polaritons.References.12 High Efficiency Planar MCLEDs (Reto Joray, Ross P. Stanley, and Marc Ilegems).12.1 Introduction.12.2 Microcavities.12.3 Novel Concepts.12.4 Conclusions.References.13 Progresses in III-Nitride Distributed Bragg Reflectors and Microcavities Using AlInN/GaN Materials (Jean-Francois Carlin, Cristof Zellweger, Julien Dorsaz, Sylvain Nicolay, Gabriel Christmann, Eric Feltin, Raphael Butte, and Nicolas Grandjean).13.1 Introduction.13.2 AlInN Alloy: Growth and Characterization.13.3 Microcavity Light Emitting Diode.13.4 High Reflectivity DBR and Residual Absorption.13.5 Epitaxial Microcavities.13.6 Conclusion.References.14 Microcavities in Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Ecole Polytechnique (France) and Elsewhere: Past, Present and Future (Claude Weisbuch and Henri Benisty).14.1 Introduction.14.2 The Interplay of Photon and Electron Dimensionalities.14.3 Looking Backwards: a Short History of Microcavities in Solids.14.4 The Birth of the Microcavity Effort in Lausanne.14.5 Why We Like Microcavities!14.6 The Future: What Are We Looking For?References.Subject Index.