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Persistent circulation is a canonical effect of superfluidity. In previous experiments, quantized circulation has been observed in polariton condensates, usually far from equilibrium, but persistent circulation without stirring has not. We report here the direct observation of persistent circulation of a polariton condensate with no driving force and with no observable change in time as long as we can measure. We can cause the condensate to circulate in either direction on demand using a short laser pulse; after this short pulse, the condensate continues to circulate for dozens to hundreds of rotations around a ring trap without any further stimulation. Our theoretical model successfully shows how the pulse causes the circulation.

We show the direct effect of free electrons colliding with polaritons, changing their momentum. The result of this interaction of the electrons with the polaritons is a change in the angle of emission of the photons from our cavity structure. Because the experiment is a photon-in, photon-out system, this is equivalent to optical beam steering of photons using a direct electrical current. The effect is asymmetric, significantly slowing down the polaritons when they move oppositely to the electrons, while the polaritons are only slightly accelerated by electrons moving in the same direction. We present a theoretical model which describes this effect as well as energy dissipation in a polariton condensate., Comment: 6 pages and 5 figures in main text; 14 pages and 10 figures in supplementary information