Effects of Spin-Dependent Polariton-Polariton Interactions in Semiconductor Microcavities: Spin Rings, Bright Spatial Solitons and Soliton Patterns

Semiconductor microcavity polaritons are composite half-light half-matter quasiparticles that arise from strong coupling of photons and excitons in semiconductor microcavities. Polaritons have recently been demonstrated to exhibit rich physical properties resulting from polariton-polariton interactions, such as non-equilibrium condensation, parametric scattering and superfluidity. This work is focused on exploring spin-dependent polariton-polariton interactions and their implications. In the second chapter polariton polarisation multistability is studied. Spin-rings resulting from the multisatbility are reported and characterised. In the third chapter bright spatial polariton solitons arising from polariton modulational instability are reported and thoroughly characterised. The fourth chapter deals with the polarisation properties of polariton solitons, which are closely linked to polariton polarisation multistability. Finally, in the fifth chapter, the formation of soliton arrays (trains) is demonstrated along with possible soliton-soliton interactions.