Exciton-polariton gap soliton dynamics in moving acoustic square lattices

The modulation by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) provides a powerful tool for the formation of tunable lattices of exciton-polariton macroscopic quantum states (MQSs) in semiconductor microcavities. The MQSs were resonantly excited in an optical parametric oscillator configuration. We investigate the temporal dynamics of these lattices using time and spatially resolved photoluminescence (PL). Photoluminescence images of the MQSs clearly show the motion of the lattice at the acoustic velocity. Interestingly, the PL intensity emitted by the MQSs as well as their coherence length oscillate with the position of the lattice sites relative to the exciting laser beam. The coherence length and the PL intensity are correlated. The PL oscillation amplitude depends on both the intensity and the size of the exciting laser spot and increases considerably for excitation intensities close to the optical threshold power for the formation of the MQS. The oscillations are explained by a model that takes into account the combined effects of SAW reflections, which dynamically distort the amplitude of the potential, and the spatial phase of the acoustic lattice within the exciting laser spot. This paper could pave the way to tailor polariton-based light-emitting sources with intensity variations controlled by the SAWs.