Coupled Topological Interface States and Phonon Molecules in GaAs/AlAs Superlattices

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sandeep, S., Colmegna, O., Xiang, C., de Oliveira, E. R. Cardozo, Papatryfonos, K., Morassi, M., Lemaitre, A., Lanzillotti-Kimura, N. D.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Sandeep, S.
Colmegna, O.
Xiang, C.
de Oliveira, E. R. Cardozo
Papatryfonos, K.
Morassi, M.
Lemaitre, A.
Lanzillotti-Kimura, N. D.
author_facet Sandeep, S.
Colmegna, O.
Xiang, C.
de Oliveira, E. R. Cardozo
Papatryfonos, K.
Morassi, M.
Lemaitre, A.
Lanzillotti-Kimura, N. D.
contents Topological interface states in one-dimensional superlattices provide spatially localized phonon modes protected by the topology of the underlying band structure. In GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), such states can be engineered through band inversion between superlattices with opposite Zak phases within the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) framework. Here, we demonstrate topological phonon molecules and extended chains formed by coupled nanophononic interface states. By concatenating three superlattices with alternating topology, we realize two coupled interface states that hybridize into symmetric and antisymmetric modes, whose splitting can be tuned over tens of gigahertz by varying the reflectivity of the central DBR. Extending this concept, we engineer chains of up to N=6 coupled interface states that form narrow topological minibands while remaining strongly localized at the interfaces. We experimentally observe these coupled states in molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown GaAs/AlAs heterostructures using time-domain pump-probe transient reflectivity measurements, and reproduce their behavior using transfer-matrix calculations and a simple analytical model for the mode splitting. These results establish topological interface states as a robust platform for engineering coupled phononic systems and tunable nanophononic architectures in the GHz regime.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_12635
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Coupled Topological Interface States and Phonon Molecules in GaAs/AlAs Superlattices
Sandeep, S.
Colmegna, O.
Xiang, C.
de Oliveira, E. R. Cardozo
Papatryfonos, K.
Morassi, M.
Lemaitre, A.
Lanzillotti-Kimura, N. D.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Topological interface states in one-dimensional superlattices provide spatially localized phonon modes protected by the topology of the underlying band structure. In GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), such states can be engineered through band inversion between superlattices with opposite Zak phases within the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) framework. Here, we demonstrate topological phonon molecules and extended chains formed by coupled nanophononic interface states. By concatenating three superlattices with alternating topology, we realize two coupled interface states that hybridize into symmetric and antisymmetric modes, whose splitting can be tuned over tens of gigahertz by varying the reflectivity of the central DBR. Extending this concept, we engineer chains of up to N=6 coupled interface states that form narrow topological minibands while remaining strongly localized at the interfaces. We experimentally observe these coupled states in molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown GaAs/AlAs heterostructures using time-domain pump-probe transient reflectivity measurements, and reproduce their behavior using transfer-matrix calculations and a simple analytical model for the mode splitting. These results establish topological interface states as a robust platform for engineering coupled phononic systems and tunable nanophononic architectures in the GHz regime.
title Coupled Topological Interface States and Phonon Molecules in GaAs/AlAs Superlattices
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.12635