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Polariton Bose-Einstein condensate at room temperature in a Al(Ga)N nanowire-dielectric microcavity with a spatial potential trap

A spatial potential trap is formed in a 6.0 μm Al(Ga)N nanowire by varying the Al composition along its length during epitaxial growth. The polariton emission characteristics of a dielectric microcavity with the single nanowire embedded in-plane has been studied at room temperature. Excitation is provided at the Al(Ga)N end of the nanowire and polariton emission is observed from the lowest bandgap GaN region of the nanowire. Comparison of the results with those measured in an identical microcavity with an uniform GaN nanowire and having an identical exciton-photon detuning suggests evaporative cooling of the polaritons as they are transported across the trap in the Al(Ga)N nanowire. Measurement of the spectral characteristics of the polariton emission, their momentum distribution, first-order spatial coherence and time-resolved measurements of polariton cooling provide strong evidence of the formation of an equilibrium Bose-Einstein condensate, a unique state of matter in solid state systems, in the GaN region of the nanowire, at room temperature. An equilibrium condensate is not formed in the GaN nanowire dielectric microcavity without the spatial potential trap.