Spin-mediated photomechanical coupling of a nanoelectromechanical shuttle

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how external microwave irradiation influences nano-mechanical vibrations in a magnetic shuttle device via spin-flip transitions, leading to potential instabilities and oscillations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism where photo-assisted spin-flip transitions induce mechanical effects, revealing a new way to control nano-mechanical systems with light and magnetic interactions.

Findings

Spin-flip transitions cause measurable mechanical forces.

A criterion for mechanical instability is derived.

Different regimes of nano-mechanical oscillations are analyzed.

Abstract

We show that nano-mechanical vibrations in a magnetic shuttle device can be strongly affected by external microwave irradiation through photo-assisted electronic spin-flip transitions. Mechanical consequences of these spin-flips are due to a spin-dependent magnetic force, which may lead to a nano-mechanical instability in the device. We derive a criterion for the instability to actually occur and analyze different regimes of possible nano-mechanical oscillations. Possible experimental realizations of the spin-mediated photo-mechanical instability and detection of the device back action are discussed.