Single-electron detection utilizing coupled nonlinear microresonators

Since the discovery of the electron, the accurate detection of electrical charges has been a dream of the scientific community. Owing to some remarkable advantages, micro/nanoelectromechanical system-based resonators have been used to design electrometers with excellent sensitivity and resolution. Here, we demonstrate a novel ultrasensitive charge detection method utilizing nonlinear coupling in two micromechanical resonators. We achieve single-electron charge detection with a high resolution up to 0.197 ± 0.056 $$ at room temperature. Our findings provide a simple strategy for measuring electron charges with extreme accuracy.