Continuous wave observation of massive polariton redistribution by stimulated scattering in semiconductor microcavities

A massive redistribution of the polariton occupancy to two specific wave ve ctors, zero and similar to3.9 X 10(4) cm(-1), is observed under conditions of continuous wave excitation of a semiconductor microcavity. The "condensa tion" of the polaritons to the two specific states arises from stimulated s cattering at final state occupancies of order unity. The stimulation phenom ena, arising due to the bosonic character of the polariton quasiparticles, occur for conditions of resonant excitation of the lower polariton branch. High energy nonresonant excitation, as in most previous work, instead leads to conventional lasing in the vertical cavity structure.