Dynamical manipulation of polar topologies from acoustic phonon pumping

Abstract

Since the recent discovery of polar topologies, a recurrent question has been in the way to remotely tune them. Many efforts have focused on the pumping of polar optical phonons from optical methods but with limited success, as only switching between specific phases has been achieved so far. Additionally, the correlation between optical pulse characteristics and the resulting phase remains poorly understood. Here, we propose an alternative approach and demonstrate the deterministic and dynamical tailoring of polar topologies using instead acoustic phonon pumping. Our second-principles simulations reveal that by pumping specific longitudinal and transverse acoustic phonons, various topological textures can be induced in materials like BaTiO$_\mathrm{3}$ or PbTiO$_\mathrm{3}$. This method leverages the strong coupling between polarization and strain in these materials, enabling predictable and dynamical control of polar patterns. Our findings open up an alternative possibility for the manipulation of polar textures, inaugurating a promising research direction.