Generation and Control of Shock Waves in Exciton-Polariton Condensates

Abstract

We propose a scheme to generate and control supersonic shock waves in a non-resonantly incoherent pumped exciton-polariton condensate, and different types of shock waves can be generated. Under conditions of different initial step waves, the ranges of parameters about various shock waves are determined by the initial incidence function and the cross-interaction between the polariton condensate and the reservoir. In addition, shock waves are successfully found by regulating the incoherent pump. In the case of low condensation rate from polariton to condensate, these results are similar to the classical nonlinear Schrödinger equation, and the effect of saturated nonlinearity resulted from cross interaction is equivalent to the self-interaction between polariton condensates. At high condensation rates, profiles of shock waves become symmetrical due to the saturated nonlinearity. Compared to the previous studies in which the shock wave can only be found in the system with repulsive self-interaction (defocusing nonlinearity), we not only discuss the shock wave in the exciton-polariton condensate system with the repulsive self-interaction, but also find the shock wave in the condensates system with attractive self-interaction. Our proposal may provide a simple way to generate and control shock waves in non-resonantly pumped exciton-polariton systems.