Direct electrical detection of the dispersion of electrically tuned light-matter strong coupling and consequent mapping of the polariton dispersion is achieved by tunneling photocurrent out of reverse-biased $p$-$i$-$n$ microcavity structures. The coherent photon-assisted tunneling is based on mixing cavity photons into the electronic states. Associated with this double-quantum-well tunneling we demonstrate the optical bistability of polaritons maintained within the strong-coupling regime. An intrinsic hole population gates bistability through the local modulation of the potential profile produced by an optically controlled buildup of free carriers within the quantum wells.

• Received 16 March 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.045311