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Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Fabrication and Testing of Microfluidic Optomechanical Oscillators
Published on: May 29, 2014
Zeptonewton and attotesla per centimeter metrology with coupled oscillators
Ian Bouche1, Josh Javor1, Abhishek Som1
1Bishop Lab, Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Abstract:
We present the coupled oscillator: A new mechanism for signal amplification with widespread application in metrology. We introduce the mechanical theory of this framework and support it by way of simulations. We present a particular implementation of coupled oscillators: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that uses one large (∼100mm) N52 magnet coupled magnetically to a small (∼0.25mm), oscillating N52 magnet, providing a force resolution of 200zN measured over 1s in a noiseless environment. We show that the same system is able to resolve magnetic gradients of 130aT/cm at a single point (within 500μm). This technology, therefore, has the potential to revolutionize force and magnetic gradient sensing, including high-impact areas such cardiac and brain imaging.
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