Abstract
We theoretically study an exciton-polariton Josephson junction in a planar semiconductor microcavity. When an external magnetic field is applied normal to the plane of the microcavity, remarkable competition is found between the Zeeman energy and the interactions of exciton polaritons. We can determine a critical magnetic field, below which there is only the dc Josephson effect, and above which the ac Josephson effect appears. The ac oscillations of extrinsic and intrinsic Josephson currents have the same frequency, which linearly increases with the magnetic field, analogous to the linear voltage dependence of the Josephson frequency in conventional superconducting junctions. The spontaneous polarization separation and the macroscopic quantum self-trapping can be realized by regulating the magnetic field. These results may be experimentally confirmed by investigating the magnetic-field modulated Josephson oscillations in semiconductor microcavities.
- Received 7 May 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.115324
©2011 American Physical Society