Electron and photon confinement in semiconductor nanostructures is one of the most active areas in solid state research. Written by leading experts in solid state physics, this book provides both a comprehensive review as well as a excellent introduction to fundamental and applied aspects of light-matter coupling in microcavities. Topics covered include parametric amplification and polariton liquids, quantum fluid and non-linear dynamical effects and parametric instabilities, polariton squeezing, Bose-Einstein condensation of microcavity polaritons, spin dynamics of exciton-polaritons, polariton correlation produced by parametric scattering, progress in III-nitride distributed Bragg reflectors using AlInN/GaN materials, high efficiency planar MCLEDs, exciton-polaritons and nanoscale cavities in photonic crystals, and MBE growth of high finesse microcavities.

Author Biography

Editor Benoit Deveaud is director of the 'Institute of Quantum Photonics and Electronics' at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. The institute focuses on a wide range of research topis ranging from quantum description of light and light-matter interactions to the very direct applications of such concepts in the information and communication technologies. His team takes an active part in the "Photonics Quantum" National Center of excellence, of which he is the Director since July 1, 2005. He is a also divisional editor of Physical Review Letters since 2001.