Solid state based analog of optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that semiconductor quantum dots can replicate key optomechanical phenomena, such as bistability and phonon lasing, by leveraging electron-phonon interactions as an analog to radiation pressure coupling.

Contribution

It introduces a solid-state platform using quantum dots to emulate optomechanical effects, highlighting both similarities and differences with traditional optomechanical systems.

Findings

Reproduction of optomechanical features like bistability and phonon lasing in quantum dots.

Identification of qualitative differences due to statistical nature of electronic vs optical systems.

Analysis of electron-phonon coupling as an analog to radiation pressure in optomechanics.

Abstract

We investigate a semiconductor quantum dot as a microscopic analog of a basic optomechanical setup. We show, that optomechanical features can be reproduced by the solid-state platform, arising from parallels of the underlying interaction processes, which in the optomechanical case is the radiation pressure coupling and in the semiconductor case the electron-phonon coupling. In optomechanics, phonons are typically induced via confined photons, acting on a movable mirror, while in the semiconductor system the phonons are emitted by the laser-driven electronic system. There are analogous effects present for both systems, featuring bistabilities, optically induced phonon lasing and enhanced phonon loss. Nonetheless, the different statistical nature of the optical cavity and the electronic system also leads to qualitative differences.