Mechanical Properties of Low Dimensional Materials

Recent advances in low dimensional materials (LDMs) have paved the way for unprecedented technological advancements. The drive to reduce the dimensions of electronics has compelled researchers to devise newer techniques to not only synthesize novel materials, but also tailor their properties. Although micro and nanomaterials have shown phenomenal electronic properties, their mechanical robustness and a thorough understanding of their structure-property relationship are critical for their use in practical applications. However, the challenges in probing these mechanical properties dramatically increase as their dimensions shrink, rendering the commonly used techniques inadequate. This Dissertation focuses on developing techniques for accurate determination of elastic modulus of LDMs and their mechanical responses under tensile and shear stresses. Fibers with micron-sized diameters continuously undergo tensile and shear deformations through many phases of their processing and applications. Significant attention has been given to their tensile response and their structure-tensile properties relations are well understood, but the same cannot be said about their shear responses or the structure-shear properties. This is partly due to the lack of appropriate instruments that are capable of performing direct shear measurements. In an attempt to fill this void, this Dissertation describes the design of an inexpensive tabletop instrument, referred to as the twister, which can measure the shear modulus (G) and other longitudinal shear properties of micron-sized individual fibers. An automated system applies a pre-determined twist to the fiber sample and measures the resulting torque using a sensitive optical detector. The accuracy of the instrument was verified by measuring G for high purity copper and tungsten fibers. Two industrially important fibers, IM7 carbon fiber and Kevlar® 119, were found to have G = 17 and 2.4 GPa, respectively. In addition to measuring the shear properties directly on a single strand of fiber, the technique was automated to allow hysteresis, creep and fatigue studies. Zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconducting nanostructures are well known for their piezoelectric properties and are being integrated into several nanoelectro-mechanical (NEMS) devices. In spite of numerous studies on the mechanical response of ZnO nanostructures, there is not a consensus in its measured bending modulus (E). In this Dissertation, by employing an all-electrical Harmonic Detection of Resonance (HDR) technique on ZnO nanowhisker (NW) resonators, the underlying origin for electrically-induced mechanical oscillations in a ZnO NW was elucidated. Based on visual detection and electrical measurement of mechanical resonances under a scanning electron microscope (SEM), it was shown that the use of an electron beam as a resonance detection tool alters the intrinsic electrical character of the ZnO NW, and makes it difficult to identify the source of the charge necessary for the electrostatic actuation. A systematic study of the amplitude of electrically actuated as-grown and gold-coated ZnO NWs in the presence (absence) of an electron beam using an SEM (dark-field optical microscope) suggests that the oscillations seen in our ZnO NWs are due to intrinsic static charges. In experiments involving mechanical resonances of micro and nanostructured resonators, HDR is a tool for detecting transverse resonances and E of the cantilever material. To add to this HDR capability, a novel method of measuring the G using HDR is presented. We used a helically coiled carbon nanowire (HCNW) in singly-clamped cantilever configuration, and analyzed the complex (transverse and longitudinal) resonance behavior of the nonlinear geometry. Accordingly, a synergistic protocol was developed which (i) integrated analytical, numerical (i.e., finite element using COMSOL ®) and experimental (HDR) methods to obtain an empirically validated closed form expression for the G and resonance frequency of a singly-clamped HCNW, and (ii) provided an alternative for solving 12th order differential equations. A visual detection of resonances (using in situ SEM) combined with HDR revealed intriguing non-planar resonance modes at much lower driving forces relative to those needed for linear carbon nanotube cantilevers. Interestingly, despite the presence of mechanical and geometrical nonlinearities in the HCNW resonance behavior, the ratio of the first two transverse modes f2/f1 was found to be similar to the ratio predicted by the Euler-Bernoulli theorem for linear cantilevers

A high-sensitivity resonant sensor realised through the exploitation of nonlinear dynamic behaviour

Measurements of viscosity and density allow for the monitoring of fluid quality and processes involving a fluid environment. There are various fields in which such measurements may be required, including oil exploration and production, environmental monitoring, process control, medicine, and the automotive industry. Existing MEMS viscometers and density meters typically measure vibrational characteristics such as resonant frequency, bandwidth and quality factor. This thesis reports on the development of a high-sensitivity resonant sensor. In order to significantly improve sensitivity to changes in viscosity and/or density the proposed sensor will exploit nonlinear dynamic behaviour and measure the frequency separation between singular jump points in the frequency response function. By using a one-mode approximation when excited near resonance, the dynamics of a clamped-clamped slender beam immersed in fluid is that of a standard Duffing oscillator. With harmonic forcing of sufficient magnitude, a bistable region, bounded by amplitude jump points, is seen to occur. The width of this bistable region, δF , is dependent on the damping ratio of the system, which is shown to be a function of the dynamic viscosity and density. Experiments with clamped-clamped silicon beams in a range of Newtonian gases demonstrate that the measurand δF can uniquely identify a fluid, and may be amplified to magnitudes greatly exceeding bandwidth measurements for the same device. In addition, the sensitivity of the proposed nonlinear sensor to changes in fluid properties at low viscosity can be at least an order of magnitude better than that of conventional devices. Forcing magnitude and control is identified as being critical to the measured width of the bistable region. Beam dimensions can be chosen to optimise measurements for the desired application.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Non-linear dynamics in nano-electromechanical systems at low temperatures

The investigation of non-linear dynamics intrinsically opens access to a broad field of researches, and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS) are valuable tools for this purpose. In the present manuscript, we emphasize the fundamental applications of non-linear nano-resonators for condensed matter. After a careful calibration of our peculiar experimental set-up, we characterize the relevant parameters associated to the resonance of our devices, notably the Duffing non-linearity which is the essence of coupling mechanisms between distinct modes of the system. We present a new scheme emerging from the mode-coupling technique, using a two-tone drive but actuating a single flexural mode: a high precision detection procedure of the initial resonator's response. The Duffing regime also opens an hysteresis within the resonance line of the NEMS, and the device is then employed as a model system for the associated bifurcation process. We explored numerically and experimentally this physical phenomenon and found that both the non-linear behaviour and the universal power laws described in the general theory are still valid far beyond any analytical predictions. We finally describe different techniques using NEMS as sensors to measure fundamental features of condensed matter physics, like signatures of two level systems within the resonator's material or slippage in a rarefied gas.L'étude des systèmes non-linéaires ouvre un large champ d'investigation en recherche fondamentale, dans cette optique les Systèmes Nano-Electro-Mécanique (NEMS) sont des outils de premier choix. Ce manuscrit met en avant l'utilisation des propriétés non-linéaires de nano-résonateurs pour la physique fondamentale. À la suite d'une calibration rigoureuse de notre dispositif expérimental, nous avons caractérisé les principaux paramètres associés à la résonance de nos structures avec, en particulier, la non-linéarité de Duffing qui est à la source des mécanismes de couplage entre les différents modes de notre système. Une nouvelle procédure expérimentale utilisant une excitation à deux tons est présentée, émergeant du couplage entre modes mais en stimulant un seul mode résonant : un système de détection à haute précision de la résonance de la structure. Le régime de Duffing engendre également l'ouverture d'une hystérésis au sein de la courbe de résonance du NEMS, configuration qui est alors utilisée comme système modèle pour le phénomène de bifurcation. Nous démontrons, numériquement et expérimentalement, que le comportement non-linéaire et les lois de puissances universelles décrites par la théorie sont valides au-delà des prédictions attendues. Différentes techniques expérimentales sont finalement présentées, utilisant les NEMS afin de détecter des caractéristiques fondamentales de la matière condensée, comme les signatures des systèmes à deux niveaux présents au sein des nano-résonateurs ou les propriétés de glissement dans un gaz raréfié