Exciton-light coupling in single and coupled semiconductor microcavities: Polariton dispersion and polarization splitting

A comprehensive theoretical and experimental study of linear exciton-light coupling in single and coupled semiconductor microcavities is presented: em phasis is given to angular dispersion and polarization effects in the stron g-coupling regime. The phase delay in the dielectric mirrors carries a nont rivial angle and polarization dependence. The polarization splitting of cav ity modes increases with internal angle as sin(2)theta(eff). Comparison wit h experimental results on a GaAs-based cavity with In0.13Ga0.87As QW's show s that a quantitative understanding of polariton dispersion and polarizatio n splitting has been achieved. Coupling of two identical cavities through a central dielectric mirror induces an optical splitting between symmetric a nd antisymmetric modes. When QW excitons are embedded in both cavities at a ntinode positions, the system behaves as four coupled oscillators, leading to a splitting of otherwise degenerate exciton states and to separate antic rossing of symmetric and antisymmetric modes. These features are confirmed by experimental results on coupled GaAs cavities with In0.06Ga0.94As QW's. Finally, the polarization splitting in a coupled cavity is analyzed in dera il and is in good agreement with the experimental findings, [S0163-1829(99) 03407-4].