Acoustic Phonon Dynamics in an Optical Microcavity: Enhanced Coherent Generation and Detection

The coherent generation and detection of acoustic phonons in a superlattice embedded in an optical microcavity is theoretically analyzed. In this optical resonator, femtosecond light pulses can be confined and amplified. We show that the acoustic phonon generation process is enhanced as the intensity of the incident electromagnetic field is amplified in the optical microcavity. The detection process is also enhanced by the optical microcavity: the maximum sensitivity is obtained not in exact optical resonance, but localized on the optical cavity mode edges, where the derivative of the reflectivity has maxima.