Multiplexed optical operation of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) arrays for sensing and signal-processing applications

Abstract

NEMS are rapidly being developed for a variety of sensing applications as well as for exploring interesting regimes in fundamental physics. In most of these endeavors, operation of a NEMS device involves actuating the device harmonically around its fundamental resonance and detecting subsequent motion while the device interacts with its environment. Even though a single NEMS resonator is exceptionally sensitive, a typical application, such as sensing or signal processing, requires the detection of signals from many resonators distributed over the surface of a chip. Therefore, one of the key technological challenges in the field of NEMS is development of multiplexed measurement techniques to detect the motion of a large number of NEMS resonators simultaneously. In this work, we address the important and difficult problem of interfacing with a large number of NEMS devices and facilitating the use of such arrays in, for example, sensing and signal processing applications. We report a versatile, all-optical technique to excite and read-out a distributed NEMS array. The NEMS array is driven by a distributed, intensity-modulated, optical pump through the photothermal effect. The ensuing vibrational response of the array is multiplexed onto a single, probe beam as a high-frequency phase modulation. The phase modulation is optically down converted to a low-frequency, intensity modulation using an adaptive full -field interferometer, and subsequently is detected using a charge-coupled device (CCD) array. Rapid and single-step mechanical characterization of approximately 60 nominally identical, high-frequency resonators is demonstrated. The technique may enable sensitivity improvements over single NEMS resonators by averaging signals coming from a multitude of devices in the array. In addition, the diffraction-limited spatial resolution may allow for position-dependent read-out of NEMS sensor chips for sensing multiple analytes or spatially inhomogeneous forces.