Microcavity phonoritons -- a coherent optical-to-microwave interface

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a scalable, coherent optical-to-microwave interface using phonoritons in a semiconductor microcavity, enabling reversible photon-phonon conversion and control of hybrid quasiparticles.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of phonoritons in a microcavity and shows their use for coherent microwave-to-optical interconversion with enhanced coupling rates.

Findings

Observation of phonon lasing indicating strong optomechanical coupling.

Control over phonoriton spectrum and microwave-to-photon conversion.

Establishment of polariton condensates as scalable quantum interfaces.

Abstract

Optomechanical systems provide a pathway for the bidirectional optical-to-microwave interconversion in (quantum) networks. We demonstrate the implementation of this functionality and non-adiabatic optomechanical control in a single, $\mu$m-sized potential trap for phonons and exciton-polariton condensates in a structured semiconductor microcavity. The exciton-enhanced optomechanical coupling leads to self-oscillations (phonon lasing) -- thus proving reversible photon-to-phonon conversion. We show that these oscillations are a signature of the optomechanical strong coupling signalizing the emergence of elusive phonon-exciton-photon quasiparticles -- the phonoritons. We then demonstrate full control of the phonoriton spectrum as well as coherent microwave-to-photon interconversion using electrically generated GHz-vibrations and a resonant optical laser beam. These findings establish the zero-dimensional polariton condensates as a scalable coherent interface between microwave and optical domains with enhanced microwave-to-mechanical and mechanical-to-optical coupling rates.