Nanofluidics of Single-crystal Diamond Nanomechanical Resonators

TL;DR

This paper explores the fluid dynamics of single-crystal diamond nanomechanical resonators in gases and liquids, analyzing dissipation, surface interactions, and thermal fluctuations to enable their operation in fluid environments.

Contribution

It provides experimental insights into fluidic dissipation, surface accommodation, and thermal behavior of diamond nanocantilevers in various gases and water, advancing their application in fluidic conditions.

Findings

Dissipation depends on length scale and frequency in gases.

Surface accommodation varies with gas type on diamond surface.

Thermal fluctuations in water match theoretical predictions.

Abstract

Single-crystal diamond nanomechanical resonators are being developed for countless applications. A number of these applications require that the resonator be operated in a fluid, i.e., a gas or a liquid. Here, we investigate the fluid dynamics of single-crystal diamond nanomechanical resonators in the form of nanocantilevers. First, we measure the pressure-dependent dissipation of diamond nanocantilevers with different linear dimensions and frequencies in three gases, He, N$_2$, and Ar. We observe that a subtle interplay between the length scale and the frequency governs the scaling of the fluidic dissipation. Second, we obtain a comparison of the surface accommodation of different gases on the diamond surface by analyzing the dissipation in the molecular flow regime. Finally, we measure the thermal fluctuations of the nanocantilevers in water, and compare the observed dissipation and frequency shifts with theoretical predictions. These findings set the stage for developing diamond nanomechanical resonators operable in fluids.