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Multivalley engineering in semiconductor microcavities
M Sun1,2, I G Savenko1,3,4, H Flayac5
1Center for Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
Scientific Reports
|April 4, 2017
Summary
We theoretically show that coupled exciton-photon systems in microcavities can create multiple ground states. This polarization-valley coupling enables valleytronics and momentum symmetry breaking.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum optics
- Materials science
Background:
- Semiconductor microcavities confine light-matter interactions.
- Periodic potentials can engineer exciton and photon properties.
- Polarization-valley coupling is a key phenomenon in spintronics and valleytronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate exciton-photon coupling in microcavities with separate periodic potentials.
- To explore the emergence of degenerate ground states and their properties.
- To predict phenomena like spontaneous momentum symmetry breaking and two-mode squeezing.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of exciton-photon coupling.
- Analysis of systems with embedded periodic potentials for excitons and photons.
- Investigation of ground-state properties at non-zero in-plane momenta.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of degenerate ground states at non-zero in-plane momenta.
- Observation of polarization-valley coupling due to separated valleys in reciprocal space.
- Prediction of spontaneous momentum symmetry breaking and two-mode squeezing.
Conclusions:
- The studied system provides a basis for valleytronics.
- Multivalley dispersion allows for novel quantum phenomena.
- The findings open new avenues for controlling quantum states in semiconductor systems.