Stress Dependence of Exciton Relaxation Processes in Cu2O

A comprehensive study of the exciton relaxation processes in Cu2O has led to some surprises. We find that the ortho-para conversion rate becomes slower at high stress, and that the Auger nonradiative recombination rate increases with stress, with apparently no Auger recombination at zero stress. These results have important consequences for the pursuit of Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons in a harmonic potential.Comment: 10 figures, 1 tabl

Dynamical T-matrix theory for high-density excitons in coupled quantum wells

Excitons in coupled quantum wells open the possibility to reach high densities close to equilibrium. In a recent experiment employing a lateral trap potential, a blue shift and a broadening of the exciton emission line has been seen (Snoke, SSC 134). The standard Hartree-Fock treatment can explain the blue shift but fails to give a finite broadening. Starting from the (spin-dependent) many-exciton Hamiltonian with direct and exchange potential, we present a dynamical T-matrix calculation for the single-exciton Green's function which is directly related to the frequency- and angle-resolved photoluminescence. The calculated spectrum is blue shifted and broadened due to exciton-exciton scattering. At high excitation, both the spectrum and the angular emission are getting narrow. This is a direct manifestation for off-diagonal long range order and a precursor of condensation.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings NOEKS 8 (Muenster 2006

Resonant two-photon excitation of 1s paraexcitons in Cuprous Oxide

We have created paraexcitons in Cuprous Oxide via resonant two-photon generation, and examined their population dynamics by means of time-correlated single photon detection. Confining the excitons to a constant volume in a harmonic potential trap made with inhomogeneous applied stress along the [001] axis, we find that paraexcitons are created directly, and orthoexcitons appear primarily through the well-known excitonic Auger process. Hot excitons are also created via a three-photon process when the IR laser is non-resonant. Also we generate excitons with two colliding pulses, and the luminescence is weaker than that from one beam excitation with same total laser power. These results show that resonant one-beam two-photon generation of paraexcitons is a promising way to pursue Bose-Einstein condensation of paraexcitons.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Coherence and Optical Emission from Bilayer Exciton Condensates

Experiments aimed at demonstrating Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons in two types of experiments with bilayer structures (coupled quantum wells) are reviewed, with an emphasis on the basic effects. Bose-Einstein condensation implies the existence of a macroscopic coherence, also known as off-diagonal long-range order, and proposed tests and past claims for coherence in these excitonic systems are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons in Cu2_2O

We present a parameter-free model which estimates the density of excitons in Cu$_2$O, related to experiments that have tried to create an excitonic Bose-Einstein condensate. Our study demonstrates that the triplet-state excitons move along adiabats and obey classical statistics, while the singlet-state excitons are a possible candidate for forming a Bose-Einstein condensate. Finally we show that the results of this study do not change qualitatively in a two-dimensional exciton gas, which can be realized in a quantum well.Comment: 6 pages, RevTex, 1 ps figur