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

A. S. KUZNETSOV, K. BIERMANN, A. REYNOSO, A. FAINSTEIN, P. V. SANTOS

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Springer

Lugar: Frankfurt; Año: 2023 vol. 14 p. 5470 - 5470

2041-1723

Optomechanical systems provide a pathway for the bidirectional optical-tomicrowaveinterconversion in (quantum) networks. These systems can beimplemented using hybrid platforms, which efficiently couple optical photonsand microwaves via intermediate agents, e.g. phonons. Semiconductorexciton-polariton microcavities operating in the strong light-matter couplingregime offer enhanced coupling of near-infrared photons to GHz phonons viaexcitons. Furthermore, a new coherent phonon-exciton-photon quasiparticletermed phonoriton, has been theoretically predicted to emerge in microcavities,but so far has eluded observation. Here, we experimentally demonstratephonoritons, when two exciton-polariton condensates confined in a μmsizedtrap within a phonon-photon microcavity are strongly coupled to aconfined phonon which is resonant with the energy separation between thecondensates. We realize control of phonoritons by piezoelectrically generatedphonons and resonant photons. Our findings are corroborated by quantitativemodels. Thus, we establish zero-dimensional phonoritons as a coherentmicrowave-to-optical interface.