Abstract

Volume 32 of the series addresses one of the most rapidly developing research fields in physics: microcavities. Microcavities form a base for fabrication of opto-electronic devices of XXI century, in particular polariton lasers based on a new physical principle with respect to conventional lasers proposed by Einstein in 1917. This book overviews a theory of all major phenomena linked microcavities and exciton-polaritons and is oriented to the reader having no background in solid state theory as well as to the advanced readers interested in theory of exciton-polaritons in microcavities. All major experimental discoveries in the field are addressed as well.
· The book is oriented to a general reader and is easy to read for a non-specialist.
· Contains an overview of the most essential effects in physics of microcavities experimentally observed and theoretically predicted during the recent decade such as:.
· Bose-Einstein condensation at room temperature.
· Lasers without inversion of population.
· Microcavity boom: optics of the XXI century!
· Frequently asked questions on microcavities and responses without formulas.
· Half-light-half-matter quasi-particles: base for the future optoelectronic devices