Intracavity optical pumping of J-aggregate microcavity exciton polaritons

We demonstrate intracavity optical pumping of J-aggregate microcavity exciton polaritons. The use of ultrathin layer-by-layer J-aggregate thin films as the strongly coupled exciton medium allows for inclusion of a thermally evaporated luminescent cavity spacer layer, through which the lower-branch exciton-polariton states are resonantly pumped. We present a measurement of the lower-branch exciton-polariton occupation in room-temperature microcavity devices containing J-aggregated molecular thin films under low-density steady-state excitation. The observed exciton-polariton occupation shows a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution at T=300 K, indicating thermalization of exciton polaritons in the lower energy branch. This device design enables us to propose a new type of “polariton laser” architecture for microcavity exciton polaritons.United States. Dept. of DefenseUnited States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy SciencesMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy Frontier Research Center for Excitonic