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Fabrication and Testing of Microfluidic Optomechanical Oscillators
Published on: May 29, 2014
Optically driven resonance of nanoscale flexural oscillators in liquid
Scott S Verbridge1, Leon M Bellan, Jeevak M Parpia
1Department of Physics and the Cornell Center for Materials Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Nano Letters
|September 14, 2006
Summary
We demonstrate nanoscale resonators operating in air and liquids using an all-optical laser drive. This technique overcomes viscous damping, enabling mechanical resonance measurements in diverse media for nanoscale device research.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Physics
Background:
- Nanoscale flexural resonators are sensitive to environmental damping.
- Operating these devices in liquids presents significant challenges due to viscous forces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate radio frequency (RF) nanoscale flexural resonators operating in air and various liquids.
- To show an all-optical actuation and detection method for overcoming viscous damping.
Main Methods:
- Utilized doubly clamped string and singly clamped cantilever resonators with nanoscale dimensions.
- Employed amplitude-modulated laser for driving resonators and optical interference for detection.
- Tested resonators in air, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, water, and phosphate-buffered saline.
Main Results:
- Achieved operation of nanoscale resonators with resonant frequencies up to 145 MHz.
- Demonstrated successful resonance detection in multiple liquid media, overcoming viscous damping.
- Observed quality factors up to 400 in air at 145 MHz, and 3-10 in liquids (20-100 MHz).
Conclusions:
- The all-optical laser drive technique effectively enables nanoscale resonator operation in high-viscosity media.
- These devices and methods offer new possibilities for studying nanoscale mechanical-environmental interactions.
- Expanded the operational viscosity range for nanoscale flexural resonant devices.
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