21 research outputs found
A Mechanical Mass Sensor with Yoctogram Resolution
Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have generated considerable interest as
inertial mass sensors. NEMS resonators have been used to weigh cells,
biomolecules, and gas molecules, creating many new possibilities for biological
and chemical analysis [1-4]. Recently, NEMS-based mass sensors have been
employed as a new tool in surface science in order to study e.g. the phase
transitions or the diffusion of adsorbed atoms on nanoscale objects [5-7]. A
key point in all these experiments is the ability to resolve small masses. Here
we report on mass sensing experiments with a resolution of 1.7 yg (1 yg =
10^-24 g), which corresponds to the mass of one proton, or one hydrogen atom.
The resonator is made of a ~150 nm long carbon nanotube resonator vibrating at
nearly 2 GHz. The unprecedented level of sensitivity allows us to detect
adsorption events of naphthalene molecules (C10H8) and to measure the binding
energy of a Xe atom on the nanotube surface (131 meV). These ultrasensitive
nanotube resonators offer new opportunities for mass spectrometry,
magnetometry, and adsorption experiments.Comment: submitted version of the manuscrip
Nonlinear damping in mechanical resonators based on graphene and carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes and graphene allow fabricating outstanding nanomechanical
resonators. They hold promise for various scientific and technological
applications, including sensing of mass, force, and charge, as well as the
study of quantum phenomena at the mesoscopic scale. Here, we have discovered
that the dynamics of nanotube and graphene resonators is in fact highly exotic.
We propose an unprecedented scenario where mechanical dissipation is entirely
determined by nonlinear damping. As a striking consequence, the quality factor
Q strongly depends on the amplitude of the motion. This scenario is radically
different from that of other resonators, whose dissipation is dominated by a
linear damping term. We believe that the difference stems from the reduced
dimensionality of carbon nanotubes and graphene. Besides, we exploit the
nonlinear nature of the damping to improve the figure of merit of
nanotube/graphene resonators.Comment: main text with 4 figures, supplementary informatio
Electrically driven single electron spin resonance in a slanting Zeeman field
The rapidly rising fields of spintronics and quantum information science have
led to a strong interest in developing the ability to coherently manipulate
electron spins. Electron spin resonance (ESR) is a powerful technique to
manipulate spins that is commonly achieved by applying an oscillating magnetic
field. However, the technique has proven very challenging when addressing
individual spins. In contrast, by mixing the spin and charge degrees of freedom
in a controlled way through engineered non-uniform magnetic fields, electron
spin can be manipulated electrically without the need of high-frequency
magnetic fields. Here we realize electrically-driven addressable spin rotations
on two individual electrons by integrating a micron-size ferromagnet to a
double quantum dot device. We find that the electrical control and spin
selectivity is enabled by the micro-magnet's stray magnetic field which can be
tailored to multi-dots architecture. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of
manipulating electron spins electrically in a scalable way.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure
Ultrasensitive force detection with a nanotube mechanical resonator
Since the advent of atomic force microscopy, mechanical resonators have been
used to study a wide variety of phenomena, such as the dynamics of individual
electron spins, persistent currents in normal metal rings, and the Casimir
force. Key to these experiments is the ability to measure weak forces. Here, we
report on force sensing experiments with a sensitivity of 12 zN Hz^(-1/2) at a
temperature of 1.2 K using a resonator made of a carbon nanotube. An
ultra-sensitive method based on cross-correlated electrical noise measurements,
in combination with parametric downconversion, is used to detect the
low-amplitude vibrations of the nanotube induced by weak forces. The force
sensitivity is quantified by applying a known capacitive force. This detection
method also allows us to measure the Brownian vibrations of the nanotube down
to cryogenic temperatures. Force sensing with nanotube resonators offers new
opportunities for detecting and manipulating individual nuclear spins as well
as for magnetometry measurements.Comment: Early version. To be published in Nature Nanotechnolog
Strong spin-phonon coupling between a single-molecule magnet and a carbon nanotube nanoelectromechanical system
International audienc
Local probing of propagating acoustic waves in a gigahertz echo chamber
In the same way that micro-mechanical resonators resemble guitar strings and drums, surface acoustic waves resemble the sound these instruments produce, but moving over a solid surface rather than through air. In contrast with oscillations in suspended resonators, such propagating mechanical waves have not before been studied near the quantum mechanical limits. Here, we demonstrate local probing of surface acoustic waves with a displacement sensitivity of 30 amRMS Hz^(−1/2) and detection sensitivity on the single-phonon level after averaging, at a frequency of 932 MHz. Our probe is a piezoelectrically coupled single-electron transistor, which is sufficiently fast, non-destructive and localized to enable us to track pulses echoing back and forth in a long acoustic cavity, self-interfering and ringing the cavity up and down. We project that strong coupling to quantum circuits will enable new experiments, and hybrids using the unique features of surface acoustic waves. Prospects include quantum investigations of phonon–phonon interactions, and acoustic coupling to superconducting qubits for which we present favourable estimates