  The dynamics of coherent electron-phonon (el-ph) states is investigated for a
suspended nanostructure. Exact quantum dynamics calculations reveal that
electron and phonons (comprising a thermal bath) couple quantum mechanically to
perform coherent oscillations with periods in the range of tens of nanoseconds,
despite the finite temperature of the phonon bath. Mechanical energy
dissipation due to clamping loss is taken into account in the calculations.
Although the lifetime of the coupled el-ph states decreases with the
temperature, well defined Rabi oscillations are obtained for temperatures up to
100 mK. The dynamics of the coupled electron-phonon state is susceptible to
various forms of external control. For instance, a weak external magnetic field
can be used to control the dynamics of the system, by decoupling the electron
from the phonon bath. The results cast light upon the underlying physics of a
yet unexplored system that could be suitable for novel quantum device
applications.
