Dynamic Interactions between Oscillating Cantilevers: Nanomechanical Modulation using Surface Forces

TL;DR

This paper investigates the nonlinear dynamic interactions between two oscillating nanomechanical cantilevers, demonstrating how surface forces can modulate high-frequency oscillations and coupling their dissipations and frequencies.

Contribution

It presents experimental observations and a simple model of nonlinear coupling between two oscillating cantilevers mediated by surface forces.

Findings

Thermal oscillations of low-frequency cantilever modulate high-frequency cantilever.

Coupling affects both dissipation and frequency of the cantilevers.

Potential applications in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems for signal processing.

Abstract

Dynamic interactions between two oscillating micromechanical cantilevers are studied. In the experiment, the tip of a high-frequency cantilever is positioned near the surface of a second low-frequency cantilever. Due to the highly nonlinear interaction forces between the two surfaces, thermal oscillations of the low-frequency cantilever modulate the driven oscillations of the high-frequency cantilever. The dissipations and the frequencies of the two cantilevers are shown to be coupled, and a simple model for the interactions is presented. The interactions studied here may be useful for the design of future micro and nanoelectromechanical systems for mechanical signal processing; they may also help realize coupled mechanical modes for experiments in non-linear dynamics.