Edge trapping of exciton-polariton condensates in etched pillars

Abstract

In this letter, we present a study of the condensation of exciton-polaritons in large etched pillar structures that exhibit shallow edge trapping. The ≈100 μm × 100 μm pillars were fabricated using photolithography and a BCl3/Cl2 reactive ion etch. A low energy region emerged along the etched edge, with the minima ≈7 μm from the outer edge. The depth of the trap was 0.5–1.5 meV relative to the level central region, with the deepest trapping at the corners. We were able to produce a Bose-Einstein condensate in the trap near the edges and corners by pumping non-resonantly in the middle of the pillar. This condensate began as a set of disconnected condensates at various points along the edges but then became a single mono-energetic condensate as the polariton density was increased. Similar edge traps could be used to produce shallow 1D traps along edges or other more complex traps using various etch geometries and scales.