We study nonequilibrium mode selection in dissipative exciton-polariton condensates incoherently pumped through an excitonic reservoir in the presence of pure energy relaxation. For a confined system in which the pump profile selects a vortex mode at threshold, we show that energy relaxation qualitatively changes the condensation scenario: as the pump increases, the asymptotic state evolves from a vortex condensate to a periodic coherent two-mode state and then to a ground-state condensate. Pure energy relaxation thus reverses pump-selected excited-state condensation and provides a mechanism for relaxation-induced ground-state selection.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Exciton polariton
• Superfluidity
• Vortices in superfluids
• Optical microcavities
• Polariton condensate
• Mean field theory
• Numerical techniques
• Perturbation theory