title: Self-localization of polariton condensates in periodic potentials.
abstract: We predict the existence of novel spatially localized states of exciton-polariton Bose-Einstein condensates in semiconductor microcavities with fabricated periodic in-plane potentials. Our theory shows that, under the conditions of continuous nonresonant pumping, localization is observed for a wide range of optical pump parameters due to effective potentials self-induced by the polariton flows in the spatially periodic system. We reveal that the self-localization of exciton-polaritons in the lattice may occur both in the gaps and bands of the single-particle linear spectrum, and is dominated by the effects of gain and dissipation rather than the structured potential, in sharp contrast to the conservative condensates of ultracold alkali atoms.
authors.affiliation: Nonlinear Physics Centre, Research School of Physics and Engineering, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ostrovskaya
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdullaev
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Desyatnikov
authors.forename: Yu S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kivshar