3
can be lifted in an asymmetric trap (i.e., non-square) by the non-vanishing effective in-plane momentum
induced by the confinement via the so-called longitudinal-transverse pseudo-spin splitting [26], described
in SM-V-A. In the BEC state, the splitting can be amplified by polariton-polariton interactions between
unequally populated pseudo-spin states.
Figure 1f reveals two remarkable optomechanical features for PExc >200 mW: the locking of the
pseudo-spin state at f(λ)
TA and the emergence of sidebands separated by multiples of f(3λ)
LA . The latter are
indicated by the blue arrows in an exemplary profile for PExc = 320 mW in Fig. 1d. These sidebands are
attributed to phonon self-oscillations (SOs) – the excitation of a coherent mechanical motion by a time-
independent polariton drive. The stimulated phonons backact on polaritons by locking their pseudo-spin
splitting to f(λ)
TA . We can estimate the optomechanical coupling rate (g) leading to the sideband formation
by taking into account the fact that the amplitude of the nth sideband is proportional to J2
n(g/f(3λ)
LA ),
where Jnis the Bessel function of the nth order [22]. We point out that the ratio of the peak intensities
of the sideband at E/hf (3λ)
LA = 1 and the ZPL is J2
1/J2
0≈0.3. This ratio implies that g∼f(3λ)
LA . Thus,
g > {ΓM, γMP}, which confirms the OSC character of the coupling and gives a lower estimate of C≈104
according to Eq. 1. Therefore, the OSC evidences the formation of a phonon-exciton-photon quasiparticle
– the phonoriton [16]. Interestingly, phonoritons involving λand 3λphonons can appear simultaneously,
indicating that more than one phonon mode can enter the OSC regime.
The pseudo-spin locking at f(λ)
TA (rather than at 2 ×f(3λ)
LA ) is further corroborated by the GS PL from
polaritons with a reduced exciton content, as illustrated for the trap T1in Fig. 1c. The PL from the
pseudo-spin state is weaker and sidebands are not observed. The GS splitting remains, nevertheless, locked
at f(λ)
TA over a wide range of excitation powers (cf. additional data in Fig. SM-6). SOs are ubiquitous in
optomechanics [27,28]. In polariton systems, they have been reported for processes of optoelectronic [29]
and optomechanical [30] nature. In contrast to the former, the SOs demonstrated here involve transitions
between the GS pseudo-spin states rather than between confined levels with different orbitals and larger
energy separation. Unlike the report [22] – in the present case, SOs are of the first-order nature and,
more importantly, emerge in a single trap rather than in an array.
The optomechanical couping between the GS pseudo-spin states leading to SOs requires confined
phonons with shear strain components, which are intrinsic for TA modes but absent in bulk LA ones
propagating along [001] GaAs. However, if the traps are not perfectly square, the lateral confinement
imparts a small shear component to the confined LA modes, which is proportional to the trap asymmetry
as shown in SM-V-C. Furthermore, a first-order deformation potential interaction between phonons and
polaritons of the split GS can provide both the interlevel coupling (g0,↑↓), corresponding to the coupling
between the pseudo-spins, which is required to trigger SOs, as well as the intralevel one (g0,↑↑) leading
to energy modulation and sideband formation. These coupling rates for the TA and LA confined modes
are summarized in Table SM-V for a trap with a= 4 µm and asymmetry ∆a/a = 0.1. In essence, for
the GS, the interlevel coupling is considerably higher for TA modes g0,↑↓,TA ≈1 MHz ≈35 ×g0,↑↓,LA.
Hence, TA-like f(λ)
TA -phonoritons can form for polariton populations NMP ≤1000, significantly lower
than the BEC threshold of ∼105−106, as estimated in SM-II-C. Since g0,↑↑,TA is negligible for the TA
modes, TA-related SOs are normally not accompanied by sidebands. In contrast, LA-like SOs are usually