Аннотация:We analyze theoretically the evolution of confined photonic modes in laterally structured one-dimensional semiconductor microcavities (photonic wires) in a magnetic field. We show that with the increase of magnetic field the polarization slate of the confined photonic modes in photonic wires can be changed from linear to circular, due to the interaction of confined photons with Zeeman split-off optically active excitons in the QW layer (resonant interaction) or in microcavity bulk (off-resonant interaction). This effect may be of potential interest for optoelectronics. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.