Towards Mechanical Signal Processing with Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS)

We report extensive measurements of linear and nonlinear response of Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS) at millikelvin temperatures. Our structures are suspended single-crystal silicon beams with three-dimensional relief fabricated by electron-beam lithography and nanomachining. Excited via a magnetomotive technique and measured by a variety of methods, the dynamics of these beams is known to become nonlinear with sufficient excitation. We have performed comprehensive characterization of nonlinearity in a wide range of frequencies, temperatures, and driving amplitudes. We discuss our approach to mechanical signal processing in these structures, in both the frequency and time domains. Understanding the nature of the nonlinear behavior of these systems will have significant impact on signal processing with nanomechanical systems. This work is funded by the NSF and the Sloan Foundation.