Optomechanical circulator with a polaritonic microcavity

TL;DR

This paper theoretically explores how a semiconductor microcavity with a quantum well, pumped by a Bessel beam, can function as an acoustic circulator and laser by transferring orbital momentum from light to phonons.

Contribution

It introduces a novel optomechanical device concept where microcavities act as acoustic circulators and lasers through orbital momentum transfer.

Findings

Microcavity can rotate phonon propagation direction.

Device can operate as an acoustic laser emitting sound with angular momentum.

Potential for compact, integrable optomechanical devices.

Abstract

We study theoretically optomechanical interactions in a semiconductor microcavity with embedded quantum well under the optical pumping by a Bessel beam, carrying a non-zero orbital momentum. Due to the transfer of orbital momentum from light to phonons, the microcavity can act as an acoustic circulator: it rotates the propagation direction of the incident phonon by a certain angle clockwise or anticlockwise. Due to the optomechanical heating and cooling effects, the circulator can also function as an acoustic laser emitting sound with nonzero angular momentum. Our calculations demonstrate the potential of semiconductor microcavities for compact integrable optomechanical devices.