Stamp transferred suspended graphene mechanical resonators for radio-frequency electrical readout

TL;DR

This paper introduces a straightforward method to create suspended graphene mechanical resonators with RF electrical readout, demonstrating high-frequency operation and nonlinear effects, advancing graphene-based sensing technologies.

Contribution

A novel micromanipulation technique for transferring and assembling suspended graphene resonators with RF readout capability is presented, enabling high-frequency measurements and nonlinear dynamics analysis.

Findings

Achieved mechanical resonance up to 178 MHz.

Observed Duffing nonlinear effects in graphene resonators.

Identified dissipation mechanisms related to displacement currents.

Abstract

We present a simple micromanipulation technique to transfer suspended graphene flakes onto any substrate and to assemble them with small localized gates into mechanical resonators. The mechanical motion of the graphene is detected using an electrical, radio-frequency (RF) reflection readout scheme where the time-varying graphene capacitor reflects a RF carrier at f=5-6 GHz producing modulation sidebands at f +/- fm. A mechanical resonance frequency up to fm=178 MHz is demonstrated. We find both hardening/softening Duffing effects on different samples, and obtain a critical amplitude of ~40 pm for the onset of nonlinearity in graphene mechanical resonators. Measurements of the quality factor of the mechanical resonance as a function of DC bias voltage Vdc indicate that dissipation due to motion-induced displacement currents in graphene electrode is important at high frequencies and large Vdc.