Role of fluctuations and nonlinearities on field emission nanomechanical self-oscillators

A theoretical and experimental description of the threshold, amplitude, and stability of a self-oscillating nanowire in a field emission configuration is presented. Two thresholds for the onset of self-oscillation are identified, one induced by fluctuations of the electromagnetic environment and a second revealed by these fluctuations by measuring the probability density function of the current. The ac and dc components of the current and the phase stability are quantified. An ac to dc ratio above 100% and an Allan deviation of $1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ at room temperature can be attained. Finally, it is shown that a simple nonlinear model cannot describe the equilibrium effective potential in the self-oscillating regime due to the high amplitude of oscillations.

[1]  Sorin Perisanu,et al.  Self-oscillations in field emission nanowire mechanical resonators: a nanometric dc-ac conversion. , 2007, Nano letters.

[2]  W. J. Venstra,et al.  Nonlinear modal interactions in clamped-clamped mechanical resonators. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[3]  S. Purcell,et al.  Beyond the linear and Duffing regimes in nanomechanics: Circularly polarized mechanical resonances of nanocantilevers , 2010 .

[4]  J.T.M. van Beek,et al.  Piezoresistive heat engine and refrigerator , 2010, 1001.3170.

[5]  David Cornu,et al.  Mechanical properties of SiC nanowires determined by scanning electron and field emission microscopies , 2008 .

[6]  P. Manneville,et al.  Simple modeling of self-oscillations in nanoelectromechanical systems , 2010, 1004.1062.

[7]  Thomas Faust,et al.  Damping of nanomechanical resonators. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[8]  J. Chaste,et al.  A nanomechanical mass sensor with yoctogram resolution. , 2012, Nature nanotechnology.

[9]  A. Pikovsky,et al.  Synchronization: Theory and Application , 2003 .

[10]  S. Purcell,et al.  Ohmic electromechanical dissipation in nanomechanical cantilevers , 2012 .

[11]  Arvind Raman,et al.  Nonlinear and nonplanar dynamics of suspended nanotube and nanowire resonators. , 2008, Nano letters.

[12]  S. Purcell,et al.  The mechanical resonances of electrostatically coupled nanocantilevers , 2011 .

[13]  E. de Langre,et al.  Statics and Dynamics of a Nanowire in Field Emission , 2010 .

[14]  C. Journet,et al.  Tuning of nanotube mechanical resonances by electric field pulling. , 2002, Physical review letters.

[15]  Alejandro Jenkins.  Self-oscillation , 2011, 1109.6640.

[16]  Erik Lucero,et al.  Quantum ground state and single-phonon control of a mechanical resonator , 2010, Nature.

[17]  J. Chaste,et al.  Nonlinear damping in mechanical resonators made from carbon nanotubes and graphene. , 2011, Nature nanotechnology.

[18]  M. Zalalutdinov,et al.  Limit cycle oscillations in CW laser-driven NEMS , 2004, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.