Abstract
Earlier implementations to simulate coherent wave propagation in one-dimensional potentials using acoustic phonons with gigahertz-terahertz frequencies were based on coupled nanoacoustic resonators. Here, we generalize the concept of adiabatic tuning of periodic superlattices for the implementation of effective one-dimensional potentials giving access to cases that cannot be realized by previously reported phonon engineering approaches, in particular the acoustic simulation of electrons and holes in a quantum well or a double well potential. In addition, the resulting structures are much more compact and hence experimentally feasible. We demonstrate that potential landscapes can be tailored with great versatility in these multilayered devices, apply this general method to the cases of parabolic, Morse and double-well potentials and study the resulting stationary phonon modes. The phonon cavities and potentials presented in this work could be probed by all-optical techniques like pump-probe coherent phonon generation and Brillouin scattering.
Highlights
Nanophononics addresses the control of acoustic phonons in solid state structures with engineered acoustic impedance modulations [1,2,3,4,5]
Most of the earlier approaches to implement effective potentials with phonons are based on engineering band structures arising from coupled nanoacoustic cavities [22], i.e., the phononic equivalent of the coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) [24]
We demonstrate that potential landscapes can be tailored with great versatility using significantly thinner structures than previously reported, rendering even the implementation of complicated effective potentials experimentally feasible
Summary
Nanophononics addresses the control of acoustic phonons in solid state structures with engineered acoustic impedance modulations [1,2,3,4,5]. Applications include fast modulators in semiconductor lasers [8], novel approaches for the generation of THz radiation [9], and the nanomechanical characterization of biological tissue [10,11,12] Optical tools such as ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy and inelastic Brillouin scattering have enabled the study of phononic spectra, temporal dynamics, and coherence properties on the nanoscale [13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20]. Most of the earlier approaches to implement effective potentials with phonons are based on engineering band structures arising from coupled nanoacoustic cavities [22], i.e., the phononic equivalent of the coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) [24] Such devices have been used to, e.g., mimic wave dynamics in Wannier-Stark ladders showing Bloch oscillations [25] or topological effects in polyacetylene [26].
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