Single electron tunneling through high-Q single-wall carbon nanotube NEMS resonators

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that ultra-clean, suspended single-wall carbon nanotubes can serve as high-Q NEMS resonators, with detailed analysis of electron tunneling effects and mechanical modes.

Contribution

It introduces a fabrication method for ultra-clean suspended nanotubes and explores their use as high-Q mechanical resonators with electron tunneling interactions.

Findings

High-frequency, low-dissipation resonators achieved

Coulomb blockade affects mechanical motion

Higher vibrational modes characterized

Abstract

By first lithographically fabricating contact electrodes and then as last step growing carbon nanotubes with chemical vapour deposition across the ready-made chip, many potential contamination mechanisms for nanotube devices can be avoided. Combining this with pre-defined trenches on the chip, such that the nanotubes are freely suspended above the substrate, enables the formation of highly regular electronic systems. We show that, in addition, such suspended ultra-clean nanotubes provide excellent high-frequency and low-dissipation mechanical resonators. The motion detection mechanism of our experiment is discussed, and we measure the effect of Coulomb blockade and the back-action of single electron tunneling on the mechanical motion. In addition data on the mechanical higher modes is presented.