Applications of Strongly Coupled Electrostatic NEMS

Abstract

This work explores potential applications of electrostatic nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) in inertial sensing and Frequency Comb (FC) generation. NEMS inertial sensors exhibit exceptional sensitivity with low power consumption, making them ideal for portable gas sensors. We equip a novel ZnO NEMS with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) to ensure selectivity to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), resulting in a sensor with sensitivity ranging from 0.33 to 0.71 Hz/ppm and limits of detection from 4 to 9 ppb. This high sensitivity is attributed to the high porosity and large surface area of MAF-6. These findings pave the way for the development of MOF-coated NEMS sensors, promising advances in the field of gas sensing.

We also present a novel low-power generation technique for frequency combs (FC) developed using modal interactions in electrostatic NEMS. Experimental results show a broadband FCs spectrum with a coherent phase. The proposed technique is flexible, enabling the generation of multiple frequency combs and fine-tuning of their Free Spectral Range (FSR). Additionally, we show an innovative approach that leverages internal resonances within a NEMS-phononic cavity to generate soliton frequency combs with over 3000 spectral lines, offering a breakthrough for quantum computing and metrology. The soliton generator can seamlessly be integrated into portable devices, aligning with contemporary miniaturized technology.