MS10.3: Micro- and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems

A sensor generates an electrical signal that depends on the physical quantity we aim to measure. The resulting electrical signal is typically minuscule and requires lock-in detection to capture it in a noisy environment. Beyond detecting a signal, achieving the desired sensing performance is an iterative process that begins with finding suitable materials, sensing methods, and control parameters. A complete time- and frequency-analysis toolset to characterize the prototype with efficient workflows is crucial to keeping up with the project timelines. In this talk, we will provide an overview of various characterization and control strategies for finding a sensor’s optimal operation conditions, thereby enabling the sensing of yoctograms to attoNewtons.

The research is focused on the theoretical feasibility study of a microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonant accelerometer with tunable sensitivity and self-calibration abilities. The device incorporates a proof mass and a vibrating beam-type sensing element interacting with the mass through fringing electrostatic fields. The suggested novel architecture and operational principle allow achievement of tunable and switchable inertial force transmission between the proof mass and the sensing beam. This unique ability to switch off the inertial input potentially allows monitoring of the baseline sensor frequency at zero acceleration, reducing the integration drift, bias errors, and in situ calibration of the sensor. In this work, a mechanical nonlinear lumped model of the generic device is analyzed and verified using full-scale multi-physics finite elements analysis. The tunability of the device and its self-calibration abilities along with the compensation of the scale factor thermal sensitivity are demonstrated using the model.

This study presents a groundbreaking achievement in the generation of mechanical soliton frequency combs within an electrostatic NEMS resonator. Our approach relies on a single NEMS resonator offering remarkable simplicity and efficiency. Our method relies on an intricate interaction among multiple vibration modes of a bracket-nanocantilever under excitation by a continuous-wave (CW) laser source and an electric wave source. Enabled by the strong nonlinearity of the electrostatic field, they orchestrate the formation of mechanical wave packets represented by zero-centered state I and state II solitons, each featuring hundreds of equally spaced peaks at the electrical excitation frequency. In time domain, the FCs take the form of a periodic train of narrow pulses, a highly coveted phenomenon within the realm of nonlinear wave-matter interactions. This breakthrough has a transformative potential across various fields, including quantum computing and spectroscopy.

Phononic frequency combs are typically generated in mechanical resonators through nonlinear interactions of phonon modes. However, a recent study utilized optical tweezers to produce overtone frequency combs without the need for mechanical nonlinearities. By combining overtone and modal-coupling effects, researchers were able to create broadband frequency combs with hyperfine frequency spacing. This paper investigates a scenario where optical tweezers are sufficiently weak to induce overtone effects, yet strong enough to impact modal coupling-mediated frequency combs. The study examines how the existence band of phononic combs is influenced by the wavelength and power of optical tweezers.