Controllable half-vortex lattices in an incoherently pumped polariton condensate (1102.5302v2)

Abstract: We show how the transition between synchronized and desynchronized states of a spinor polariton condensate can be used to drive a transition between stationary vortex lattices and half-vortex lattices. This provides a way to control polariton spin textures by a combination of pump spot profile and applied magnetic fields. To do this, we extend the model of non-equilibrium spinor condensates to include relaxation, and study how this affects the desynchronization transition. We discuss how the pattern formation can be explained by behavior of the homogeneous system.