Related papers: A self-calibrating optomechanical force sensor wit…
Mechanical resonances are used in a wide variety of devices; from smart phone accelerometers to computer clocks and from wireless communication filters to atomic force microscope sensors. Frequency stability, a critical performance metric,…
Soft robotic grippers demonstrate great potential for gently and safely handling objects; however, their full potential for executing precise and secure grasping has been limited by the lack of integrated sensors, leading to problems such…
Non-invasive thermal noise calibration of both torsional and flexural eigenmodes is performed on numerous cantilevers of 10 different types. We show that for all tipless and short-tipped cantilevers, the ratio of torsional to flexural mode…
We demonstrate a new optomechanical device system which allows highly efficient transduction of femtogram nanobeam resonators. Doubly clamped nanomechanical resonators with mass as small as 25 fg are embedded in a high-finesse…
We report on low mechanical loss in a high-stress silicon nitride (Si_{3}N_{4}) membrane at temperatures below 100 mK. We isolate a membrane via a phononic shield formed within a supporting silicon frame, and measure the mechanical quality…
There are different techniques to sense the wavefront phase-distortions due to atmospheric turbulence. Curvature sensors are practical in their sensitivity being adjustable to the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Even at the best sites,…
We present an optically-detected mechanical accelerometer that achieves a sensitivity of 100 ng/rtHz over a bandwidth of 10kHz and is traceable. We have incorporated a Fabry-Perot fiber-optic micro-cavity that is currently capable of…
We experimentally surpass the 3dB limit to steady state parametric squeezing of a mechanical oscillator. The localization of a AFM cantilever, achieved by optimal estimation, is enhanced by up to 6.2 dB in one position quadrature when a…
We propose sub-harmonic resonant optical excitation with femtosecond lasers as a new method for the characterization of phononic and nanomechanical systems in the gigahertz to terahertz frequency range. This method is applied for the…
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have been applied to many measurement problems in physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. In parallel, cavity optomechanical systems have achieved quantum-limited displacement sensitivity and ground…
To function autonomously in the physical world, humanoid robots need high-fidelity sensing systems, especially for forces that cannot be easily modeled. Modeling forces in robot feet is particularly challenging due to static indeterminacy,…
Contactless characterization of mechanical resonances using Fabry-Perot interferometry is a powerful tool to study the mechanical and dynamical properties of atomically thin membranes. However, amplitude calibration is often not performed,…
In modern robotic applications, tactile sensor arrays (i.e., artificial skins) are an emergent solution to determine the locations of contacts between a robot and an external agent. Localizing the point of contact is useful but determining…
Gas pressure sensors based on nanomechanical membranes have recently demonstrated an ultra-wide ten-decade measurement range, a gas-type-independent response, and a self-calibrating operation with uncertainties of approximately $1\,\%$. The…
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful tool to investigate interaction forces at the micro and nanoscale. Cantilever stiffness, dimensions and geometry of the tip can be chosen according to the requirements of the specific application,…
We discuss implications of a recent experimental breakthrough which uses a fluorescence-doped flexible semiconducting polymer to construct a single-molecule sensor which can detect ultra-weak forces in the molecular environment, with a grey…
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…
The optical Vernier effect magnifies the sensing capabilities of an interferometer, allowing for unprecedented sensitivities and resolutions to be achieved. Just like a caliper uses two different scales to achieve higher resolution…
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.…
We are developing an imaging polarimeter by combining a fine-pixel CMOS image sensor with a coded aperture mask as part of the cipher project, aiming to achieve X-ray polarimetry in the energy range of…