Accurate Mass Measurement of a Levitated Nanomechanical Resonator for Precision Force-Sensing

článek v časopise ve Web of Science, Jimp

angličtina

Nanomechanical resonators are widely operated as force and mass sensors with sensitivities in the zepto-Newton (10−21) and yocto-gram (10−24) regime, respectively. Their accuracy, however, is usually undermined by high uncertainties in the effective mass of the system, whose estimation is a nontrivial task. This critical issue can be addressed in levitodynamics, where the nanoresonator typically consists of a single silica nanoparticle of well-defined mass. Yet, current methods assess the mass of the levitated nanoparticles with uncertainties up to a few tens of percent, therefore preventing to achieve unprecedented sensing performances. Here, we present a novel measurement protocol that uses the electric field from a surrounding plate capacitor to directly drive a charged optically levitated particle in moderate vacuum. The developed technique estimates the mass within a statistical error below 1% and a systematic error of ∼2%, and paves the way toward more reliable sensing and metrology applications of levitodynamics systems.

mechanical resonators, optical levitodynamics, levitation optomechanics, force sensing, vacuum

RICCI, F.; CUAIRAN, M.T.; CONANGLA, G.P.; SCHELL, A.W.; QUIDANT, R.

1. 10. 2019

1530-6992

Nano Letters

19

10

Spojené státy americké

6711

6715

5

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b00082