Distortion blockade in classical nano-electromechanical resonator

TL;DR

This paper investigates the strong coupling effects in a nano-electromechanical resonator, revealing a static instability that causes a current gap, and proposes experimental methods to observe this mechanical suppression of current.

Contribution

It provides an analytical description of the transition to a static instability in a strongly coupled nano-electromechanical system, extending understanding beyond the weak coupling regime.

Findings

Identification of a static mechanical instability at strong coupling

Discovery of a current gap in the I-V characteristics due to mechanical effects

Proposal of experimental modulation to detect mechanical suppression of current

Abstract

We consider a single electron transistor where the central island can oscillate. It has been shown that for weak coupling of the elastic and electric degrees of freedom the position of the island fluctuates with a small variation of the current through the device. In this paper we consider the strong coupling limit. We show that the system undergoes a static mechanical instability that is responsible for the opening of a gap in the current voltage characteristics even at the degeneracy point. We provide an analytical description of the transition point. We also discuss how the mechanical nature of the suppression of the current can be probed experimentally by a slow modulation of the gate voltage.