Self-organization of irregular NEM vibrations in multi-mode shuttle structures

TL;DR

This paper theoretically studies multi-mode electromechanical instabilities in nanoelectromechanical devices, revealing how irregular oscillations self-organize into periodic vibrations, showing local probes can excite global vibrations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the self-organization process of irregular NEM vibrations into periodic modes in multi-mode shuttle structures, a novel insight into NEM device dynamics.

Findings

Irregular oscillations self-organize into periodic vibrations.

Self-organization involves modes with incommensurable frequencies.

Local probes can selectively excite global vibrations.

Abstract

We investigate theoretically multi-mode electromechanical "shuttle" instabilities in DC voltage-biased nanoelectromechanical single-electron tunneling (NEM-SET) devices. We show that initially irregular (quasi-periodic) oscillations, that occur as a result of the simultaneous self-excitation of several mechanical modes with incommensurable frequencies, self-organize into periodic oscillations with a frequency corresponding to the eigenfrequency of one of the unstable modes. This effect demonstrates that a local probe can selectively excite global vibrations of extended objects.