Nonlinear Switching Dynamics in a Nanomechanical Resonator

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nonlinear dynamic behavior of nanoelectromechanical resonators, demonstrating high-speed switching between stable states and providing insights into their response under strong driving pulses for potential applications.

Contribution

It offers a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of nonlinear switching dynamics in nanomechanical resonators, surpassing previous speed limits by a factor of 10,000.

Findings

Controlled high-speed switching between stable states

Insights into non-adiabatic evolution under strong driving

Quantitative modeling with Duffing oscillator

Abstract

The oscillatory response of nonlinear systems exhibits characteristic phenomena such as multistability, discontinuous jumps and hysteresis. These can be utilized in applications leading, e.g., to precise frequency measurement, mixing, memory elements, reduced noise characteristics in an oscillator or signal amplification. Approaching the quantum regime, concepts have been proposed that enable low backaction measurement techniques or facilitate the visualisation of quantum mechanical effects. Here we study the dynamic response of nanoelectromechanical resonators in the nonlinear regime aiming at a more detailed understanding and an exploitation for switching applications. Whereas most previous investigations concentrated on dynamic phenomena arising at the onset of bistability, we present experiments that yield insight into the non-adiabatic evolution of the system while subjected to strong driving pulses and the subsequent relaxation. Modeling the behaviour quantitatively with a Duffing oscillator, we can control switching between its two stable states at high speeds, exceeding recently demonstrated results by 10,000.