Self-detecting gate-tunable nanotube paddle resonators

TL;DR

This paper reports the fabrication of nanotube paddle resonators with gate-tunable flexural and torsional vibrations, demonstrating their potential for highly tunable nanoelectromechanical systems.

Contribution

It introduces self-detecting nanotube paddle resonators with gate-tunable resonances, highlighting their enhanced tunability over traditional silicon-based devices.

Findings

Gate voltage tunes resonance frequencies upward or downward.

Flexural and torsional vibrations are distinctly identified.

Nanotube springs offer smaller torsional spring constants and larger tunability.

Abstract

We have fabricated suspended metal paddle resonators with carbon nanotubes functioning as self-detecting torsional springs. We observe gate-tunable resonances, that either tune to higher or to lower frequencies when increasing the dc voltage on the back-gate. We attribute the former modes to flexural vibrations of the paddle resonator, while the latter ones are identified as torsional vibrations. Compared to top-down silicon fabricated paddle resonators, nanotube springs have smaller torsional spring constants and provide a larger frequency tunability.