Microscopic Theory of Light-Induced Coherent Phonons Mediated by Quantum Geometry

Abstract

Light-induced coherent phonons provide a powerful platform for ultrafast control of material properties. However, the microscopic theory and quantum geometric nature of this phenomenon remain underexplored. Here, we develop a fully quantum-mechanical framework based on Feynman diagrams to systematically describe the generation of coherent phonons by light. We identify a dominant second-order, double-resonant process in noncentrosymmetric semiconductors that efficiently couples light to both electronic and phononic excitations. Crucially, we uncover the quantum geometric origin, encoded in the electron-phonon coupling (EPC) shift vector and the EPC quantum geometric tensor. Applying our theory to ferroelectric BaTiO$_3$ and SnSe, we demonstrate the potential for light-induced modulation of ferroelectric polarization driven by coherent phonons. This work provides fundamental insights for designing efficient optical control strategies for both coherent phonons and ferroelectric polarization.