Carbon nanotubes as ultrahigh quality factor mechanical resonators.
We have observed the transversal vibration mode of suspended carbon nanotubes at millikelvin temperatures by measuring the single-electron tunneling current. The suspended nanotubes are actuated contact-free by the radio frequency electric field of a nearby antenna; the mechanical resonance is detected in the time-averaged current through the nanotube. Sharp, gate-tunable resonances due to the bending mode of the nanotube are observed, combining resonance frequencies of up to nu(0) = 350 MHz with quality factors above Q = 10(5), much higher than previously reported results on suspended carbon nanotube resonators. The measured magnitude and temperature dependence of the Q factor shows a remarkable agreement with the intrinsic damping predicted for a suspended carbon nanotube. By adjusting the radio frequency power on the antenna, we find that the nanotube resonator can easily be driven into the nonlinear regime.
Hüttel
Andreas K
AK
Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5046, 2600 GA Delft, The Netherlands.
Steele
Gary A
GA
Witkamp
Benoit
B
Poot
Menno
M
Kouwenhoven
Leo P
LP
van der Zant
Herre S J
HS
D004563:Electrochemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013696:Temperature; D014732:Vibration
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon