Phonon engineering with superlattices: Generalized nanomechanical potentials

Acoustic phonons constitute a promising platform for single-particle quantum simulations. To this end, the implementation of effective phononic potentials is a key requirement. In this work, the authors propose a method to mimic the effects of one-dimensional potentials on high-frequency acoustic phonons. Based on perturbed periodic superlattices, the theoretical study introduces nanostructures that are much more compact than previous implementations. This compactness enables the realization of experimental studies, even when absorption effects are considered.