Room temperature polariton lasing vs. photon lasing in a ZnO-based hybrid microcavity

Abstract

We report on the room temperature polariton lasing and photon lasing in a ZnO-based hybrid microcavity under optical pumping. A series of experimental studies of the polariton lasing (exciton-photon detunings of delta = -119meV) in the strong-coupling regime are discussed and compared to a photon lasing (delta = -45meV) in the weak-coupling regime obtained in the same structure. The measured threshold power density (31.8kW/cm(2)) of polariton lasing is one order of magnitude lower than that of the photon lasing (318.2kW/cm(2)). In addition, the comparison between polariton lasing and photon lasing is done in terms of the linewidth broadening, blue-shift of the emission peak, and polarization. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America