Graphene mechanical oscillators with tunable frequency.
Oscillators, which produce continuous periodic signals from direct current power, are central to modern communications systems, with versatile applications including timing references and frequency modulators. However, conventional oscillators typically consist of macroscopic mechanical resonators such as quartz crystals, which require excessive off-chip space. Here, we report oscillators built on micrometre-size, atomically thin graphene nanomechanical resonators, whose frequencies can be electrostatically tuned by as much as 14%. Self-sustaining mechanical motion is generated and transduced at room temperature in these oscillators using simple electrical circuitry. The prototype graphene voltage-controlled oscillators exhibit frequency stability and a modulation bandwidth sufficient for the modulation of radiofrequency carrier signals. As a demonstration, we use a graphene oscillator as the active element for frequency-modulated signal generation and achieve efficient audio signal transmission.
1] Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University (New York), 535 W 116th Street, New York, New York 10027, USA [2].
Changyao
C
Chen
Sunwoo
S
Lee
Vikram V
VV
Deshpande
Gwan-Hyoung
000000023028867X
GH
Lee
Michael
M
Lekas
Kenneth
K
Shepard
James
J
Hone
D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers
D006108:Graphite