Part of Focus on Mechanical Systems at the Quantum Limit

 

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Abstract

We discuss different types of measurements targetting the interplay of mechanical motion with electrical transport in suspended single-wall carbon nanotube devices. In driven resonator experiments, the transversal acoustical vibration mode is detected and identified at room temperature using ac down-mixing techniques. In contrast, low-temperature transport spectroscopy enables the observation of the longitudinal acoustic mode in the quantum limit in single electron tunnelling. This vibrational excitation can also be observed in higher order tunnelling current for appropriate electronic coupling to the leads. Experimental roads towards the quantum limit of the transversal vibration mode—as ultimate quantum-limited beam resonator—are explored, e.g. extending both abovementioned measurement techniques.

PACS

85.35.Kt Nanotube devices

63.22.-m Phonons or vibrational states in low-dimensional structures and nanoscale materials

73.63.Fg Nanotubes

Subjects

Electronics and devices

Nanoscale science and low-D systems

Dates

Issue 9 (September 2008)

Received 14 March 2008

Published 30 September 2008