Spin Order and Phase Transitions in Chains of Polariton Condensates ...

• Main Authors: Ohadi, H, Ramsay, AJ, Sigurdsson, H, Del Valle-Inclan Redondo, Y, Tsintzos, SI, Hatzopoulos, Z, Liew, TCH, Shelykh, A, Rubo, YG, Savvidis, PG, Baumberg, J
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository 2017
• Subjects: cond-mat.mes-hall; cond-mat.other; Moe; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17863/cam.11859; https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/265726

We demonstrate that multiply coupled spinor polariton condensates can be optically tuned through a sequence of spin-ordered phases by changing the coupling strength between nearest neighbors. For closed four-condensate chains these phases span from ferromagnetic (FM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM), separated by an unexpected crossover phase. This crossover phase is composed of alternating FM-AFM bonds. For larger eight-condensate chains, we show the critical role of spatial inhomogeneities and demonstrate a scheme to overcome them and prepare any desired spin state. Our observations thus demonstrate a fully controllable nonequilibrium spin lattice. ... : We acknowledge Grants No. EPSRC EP/L027151/1, No. EU INDEX 289968, No. ERC “POLAFLOW” Starting Grant, ERC LINASS 320503, Spanish MEC (MAT2008- 01555), Mexican CONACYT 251808, Leverhulme Trust Grant No. VP1-2013-011 and Fundación La Caixa. H. S. and I. S. acknowledge support by the Research Fund of the University of Iceland, The Icelandic Research Fund, Grant No. 163082-051. T. L. was supported by the MOE AcRF Tier 1 Grant No. 2016-T1-001-084. P. S. acknowledges financial support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, “ARCHERS” project. ...