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Stochastic switching of cantilever motion

Author

Listed:
  • Warner J. Venstra

    (Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology)

  • Hidde J. R. Westra

    (Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology)

  • Herre S. J. van der Zant

    (Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology)

Abstract

The cantilever is a prototype of a highly compliant mechanical system and has an instrumental role in nanotechnology, enabling surface microscopy, and ultrasensitive force and mass measurements. Here we report fluctuation-induced transitions between two stable states of a strongly driven microcantilever. Geometric nonlinearity gives rise to an amplitude-dependent resonance frequency and bifurcation occurs beyond a critical point. The cantilever response to a weak parametric modulation is amplified by white noise, resulting in an optimum signal-to-noise ratio at finite noise intensity. This stochastic switching suggests new detection schemes for cantilever-based instrumentation, where the detection of weak signals is mediated by the fluctuating environment. For ultrafloppy, cantilevers with nanometer-scale dimensions operating at room temperature—a new transduction paradigm emerges that is based on probability distributions and mimics nature.

Suggested Citation

  • Warner J. Venstra & Hidde J. R. Westra & Herre S. J. van der Zant, 2013. "Stochastic switching of cantilever motion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3624
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3624
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    Cited by:

    1. Hu, Rongchun & Zhang, Dongxu & Gu, Xudong, 2022. "Reliability analysis of a class of stochastically excited nonlinear Markovian jump systems," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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