Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Nanometre-scale displacement sensing using a single electron transistor.

Robert G Knobel1, Andrew N Cleland

  • 1Department of Physics and iQUEST, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.

Nature
|July 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Profile of John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis: 2025 Nobel laureates in Physics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

The 2026 guided acoustic waves roadmap.

Journal of physics D: Applied physics·2026
Same author

Quantum Random Access Memory with Transmon-Controlled Phonon Routing.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Deterministic multi-phonon entanglement between two mechanical resonators on separate substrates.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Localized Gradual Photomediated Brightness and Lifetime Increase of Superacid-Treated Monolayer MoS<sub>2</sub>.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2024
Same author

Bidirectional Multiphoton Communication between Remote Superconducting Nodes.

Physical review letters·2024
Same journal

Retraction Note: NSD2 targeting reverses plasticity and drug resistance in prostate cancer.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Enhanced B cell priming induces broadly neutralizing HIV-1 apex antibodies.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Vaccination elicits HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies in primates.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Child online safety needs more than social-media bans.

Nature·2026
Same journal

Ebola preparedness must start with ecosystems and before humans show symptoms.

Nature·2026
Same journal

AI tools can speed up thinking, but evidence still comes from the lab bench.

Nature·2026
See all related articles

Researchers developed a quantum-limited displacement sensor using a single electron transistor (SET) for mechanical oscillators. This breakthrough achieves unprecedented sensitivity, advancing precision measurements in quantum mechanics and weak force detection.

Area of Science:

  • Quantum mechanics
  • Macroscopic mechanical oscillators
  • Precision measurement

Background:

  • Detecting quantum mechanics effects on macroscopic scales is a long-standing scientific goal.
  • Quantum mechanics imposes fundamental limits on oscillator position measurements due to zero-point motion and uncertainty principles.
  • Approaching these limits requires advanced position transducers integrated with mechanical resonators for applications like weak force detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally realize a displacement sensor capable of near quantum-limited sensitivity.
  • To utilize a single electron transistor (SET) as a highly sensitive displacement sensor for mechanical resonators.
  • To explore applications in precision experiments and weak force detection.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Integration of a single electron transistor (SET) with a mechanical resonator.
  • Capacitive coupling of the SET to the mechanical oscillator to measure motion.
  • Operation of the device at cryogenic temperatures (30 mK) to leverage the SET's charge sensitivity.

    • Main Results:

    • Achieved an unequalled displacement sensitivity of 2 x 10^-15 m x Hz^-1/2 for a 116-MHz mechanical oscillator.
    • Demonstrated a sensitivity approximately 100 times greater than the quantum limit for the tested oscillator.
    • Experimental realization of a device approaching quantum-limited displacement sensing.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed SET-based sensor represents a significant advancement in measuring quantum effects in macroscopic systems.
    • This technology opens new avenues for ultra-precise measurements and the detection of extremely weak forces.
    • The achieved sensitivity paves the way for future experiments in quantum sensing and fundamental physics.