Bose condensation of exciton polaritons in an optical microcavity

Two methods are considered for producing traps for exciton polaritons in an optical microcavity with an embedded quantum well. The first method for controlling polaritons consists in producing a polariton trap governed by the longitudinal confinement of photons. Traps of this type can be created using an optical microcavity with a variable width. In traps of the second type, the exciton confinement is ensured by a weak potential that is applied to a quantum well with excitons or when this well is subjected to an inhomogeneous deformation. The behavior of a two-component Bose condensate of photons and excitons is analyzed theoretically. The Bose condensate is described by the coupled system of equations of the Gross-Pitaevskii type. The approximate wave functions and the spatial profiles of coupled photon and exciton condensates are obtained.