Few-hundred GHz carbon nanotube nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).

Nano Lett. 2012 Sep 12;12(9):4564-9

Authors: Island JO, Tayari V, McRae AC, Champagne AR

Abstract

We study 23-30 nm long suspended single-wall carbon nanotube quantum dots and observe both their stretching and bending vibrational modes. We use low-temperature DC electron transport to excite and measure the tubes' bending mode by making use of a positive feedback mechanism between their vibrations and the tunneling electrons. In these nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), we measure fundamental bending frequencies f(bend) ˜ 75-280 GHz and extract quality factors Q ~ 10(6). The NEMS's frequencies can be tuned by a factor of 2 with tension induced by mechanical breakjunctions actuated by an electrostatic force or tension from bent suspended electrodes.

PMID: 22888989 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]