One-dimensional ZnO exciton polaritons with negligible thermal broadening at room temperature

Single ZnO microwires are investigated by angle-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. We show that confined optical modes similar to whispering gallery modes can strongly interact with excitons to form one-dimensional exciton polaritons at room temperature, with normal mode splitting exceeding 200 meV. With such a splitting, which is much larger than LO phonon energy, a strong quenching of the polariton-phonon interaction is achieved, even at room temperature and for large excitonic fractions. Thus, a record figure of merit of 50 for the ratio of the Rabi splitting to the polariton full width at half maximum is achieved as a consequence of negligible thermal contribution to dephasing.