Modulating the resonance response of monolayer graphene nanodrums

Atomically thin resonators are exceptional candidates for ultra-sensitive sensing applications due to their low mass and high mechanical stiffness. Recent research has shown that graphene exhibits tunable resonance frequency and quality factor. In this work, we conduct a comprehensive set of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study graphene resonance by evaluating the ringdown responses of various monolayer graphene nanodrums under a range of pulse-like mechanical excitations as well as different interatomic potentials, geometries (namely circular, elliptical, square, hexagonal, and triangular resonators), and boundary conditions (i.e., ideally clamped and substrate-supported). Our MD results indicate that the optimized Tersoff potential offers a reasonable balance between realistic mechanical response and accurate vibrational-mode predictions, which is critical for reproducing graphene resonance. Furthermore, our simulations suggest that nonlinear damping response is influenced by mechanical excitation parameters, where high-drive excitations induce greater frequency shifts and faster vibrational decay, generally leading to a decrease in the quality factor. The peak resonance frequency remains relatively stable (on the order of 10¹⁰ Hz) across low and high-drive ringdowns. In contrast, the drum's geometry (axisymmetric vs. non-axisymmetric boundaries) plays an important role in resonance dissipation. In drums supported on a Si substrate, we find that substrate compliance increases the resonance frequency. Moreover, graphene-substrate adhesion effectively tunes dissipation, where increasing adhesion levels systematically render higher frequencies and quality factors. These findings provide insights into optimizing the performance of graphene nanoresonators used for sensing.