Related papers: Ultrasensitive force detection with a nanotube mec…
Optically trapped nanospheres in high-vaccum experience little friction and hence are promising for ultra-sensitive force detection. Here we demonstrate measurement times exceeding $10^5$ seconds and zeptonewton force sensitivity with…
Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMs) hold promise for a number of scientific and technological applications. In particular, NEMs oscillators have been proposed for use in ultrasensitive mass detection, radio-frequency signal processing, and…
High sensitivity detection plays a vital role in science discoveries and technological applications. While intriguing methods utilizing collective many-body correlations and quantum entanglements have been developed in physics to enhance…
Nanomechanical resonators are used with great success to couple mechanical motion to other degrees of freedom, such as photons, spins, and electrons. Mechanical vibrations can be efficiently cooled and amplified using photons, but not with…
We describe the application of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) to ultrasensitive mass detection. In these experiments, a modulated flux of atoms was adsorbed upon the surface of a 32.8 MHz NEMS resonator within an ultrahigh vacuum…
Highly coherent mechanical resonators are invaluable to ultrasensitive detection techniques by enabling detection of small forces. Studying mechanical resonators in a thermal equilibrium state at millikelvin temperatures provides a…
The capabilities of the mechanical resonator-based nanosensors in detecting ultra-small mass or force shifts have driven a continuing exploration of the palette of nanomaterials for such application purpose. Based on large-scale molecular…
The sensitivity of a mechanical transducer is ultimately limited by its inherent quantum fluctuations. Here, we use an optically levitated nanoparticle to measure impulsive forces smaller than the particle's zero-point momentum uncertainty.…
Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MRFM) is a powerful technique to detect a small number of spins that relies on force-detection by an ultrasoft magnetically tipped cantilever and selective magnetic resonance manipulation of the spins.…
The small mass and high coherence of nanomechanical resonators render them the ultimate force probe, with applications ranging from biosensing and magnetic resonance force microscopy, to quantum optomechanics. A notorious challenge in these…
Photo-induced forces can be used to manipulate and cool the mechanical motion of oscillators. When the oscillator is used as a force sensor, such as in atomic force microscopy, active feedback is an enticing route to enhancing measurement…
The measurement of micron-sized mechanical resonators by electrical techniques is difficult, because of the combination of a high frequency and a small mechanical displacement which together suppress the electromechanical coupling. The only…
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted much attention for use in nanomechanical devices because of their exceptional properties, such as large resonant frequencies, low mass, and high quality factors. Here, we report the first experimental…
We describe a method for sensing short range forces using matter wave interference in dielectric nanospheres. When compared with atom interferometers, the larger mass of the nanosphere results in reduced wave packet expansion, enabling…
Nanotubes behave as semi-flexible polymers in that they can bend by a sizeable amount. When integrating a nanotube in a mechanical resonator, the bending is expected to break the symmetry of the restoring potential. Here we report on a new…
We demonstrate a scanning force microscope, based upon a quartz tuning fork, that operates below 100 mK and in magnetic fields up to 6 T. The microscope has a conducting tip for electrical probing of nanostructures of interest, and it…
Interatomic-force measurements are regularly performed using frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy. This requires conversion of the observed shift in the resonant frequency of a force-sensing cantilever, to the actual force…
Silicon double paddle oscillators are well suited for the detection of weak forces because of their high Q factor (about 10^5 at room temperature). We describe an experiment aimed at the detection of gravitational forces between masses at…
The center-of-mass motion of optically trapped dielectric nanoparticles in vacuum is extremely well-decoupled from its environment, making a powerful tool for measurements of feeble sub-attonewton forces. We demonstrate a method to trap and…
Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have generated considerable interest as inertial mass sensors. NEMS resonators have been used to weigh cells, biomolecules, and gas molecules, creating many new possibilities for biological and chemical…