Optically defined mechanical geometry

In the field of optomechanics, radiation forces have provided a particularly high level of control over the frequency and dissipation of mechanical elements. Here we propose a class of optomechanical systems in which light exerts a similarly profound influence over two other fundamental parameters: geometry and mass. By applying an optical trap to one lattice site of an extended phononic crystal, we show it is possible to create a tunable, localized mechanical mode. Owing to light's simultaneous and constructive coupling with the structure's continuum of modes, we estimate that a trap power at the level of a single intracavity photon should be capable of producing a significant effect within a realistic, chip-scale device.