Bistability double crossing curve effect in a polariton-laser semiconductor microcavity

We report an experimental observation of polaritonic optical bistability of the laser emission in a planar semiconductor microcavity with a $100\AA$ GaAs single quantum well in the strong-coupling regime. The bistability curves show crossings that indicate a competition between a Kerr-like effect induced by the polariton population and thermal effects. Associated with the bistability, laser-like emission occurs at the bare cavity mode.