Exciton-assisted optomechanics with suspended carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to achieve strong optomechanical coupling in suspended carbon nanotubes by leveraging exciton-phonon interactions, enabling ground-state cooling and potential realization of quantum strong coupling regimes.

Contribution

It presents a novel framework for exciton-assisted optomechanics in carbon nanotubes using electric fields to induce tunable coupling and quantum dot formation.

Findings

Enables optical ground-state cooling of nanotube modes

Achieves conditions for strong and ultra-strong coupling regimes

Provides a theoretical basis for exciton-phonon interaction control

Abstract

We propose a framework for inducing strong optomechanical effects in a suspended carbon nanotube based on deformation potential exciton-phonon coupling. The excitons are confined using an inhomogeneous axial electric field which generates optically active quantum dots with a level spacing in the milli-electronvolt range and a characteristic size in the 10-nanometer range. A transverse field induces a tunable parametric coupling between the quantum dot and the flexural modes of the nanotube mediated by electron-phonon interactions. We derive the corresponding excitonic deformation potentials and show that this interaction enables efficient optical ground-state cooling of the fundamental mode and could allow us to realise the strong and ultra-strong coupling regimes of the Jaynes-Cummings and Rabi models.