Laser-engineered exciton-polariton networks could lead to dynamically configurable integrated optical circuitry and quantum devices. Combining cavity optomechanics with electrodynamics in laser-configurable hybrid designs constitutes a platform for the vibrational control, conversion, and transport of signals. With this aim we investigate three-dimensional optical traps laser induced in quantum well embedded semiconductor planar microcavities. We show that the laser-generated and -controlled discrete states of the traps dramatically modify the interaction between photons and phonons confined in the resonators, accessing through coupling of photoelastic origin ($g_0/2\pi \sim 1.8\mathrm{MHz}$) an optomechanical cooperativity $C>1$ for milliwatt excitation. The quenching of Stokes processes and double-resonant enhancement of anti-Stokes ones involving pairs of discrete optical states in the sideband-resolved regime allow the optomechanical cooling of 180-GHz bulk acoustic waves, starting from room temperature down to $\sim 130$ K. These results pave the way for dynamical tailoring of optomechanical actuation in the extremely high frequency range (30–300 GHz) for future network and quantum technologies.

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• Beam cooling
• Excitons
• Optical lattices & traps
• Optoelectronics
• Optomechanics
• Phonons
• Polaritons
• III-V semiconductors
• Optical microcavities
• Quantum wells