Ultrafast Data Acquisition System for Nanomechanical Sensing

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An experiment is only as good as the data acquisition system recording it. We have spent the past few years developing some fantastic experiments using nanomechanical devices for both basic physics studies, as well as working towards practical sensing applications, but we have recently become hindered by our data acquisition system. We have pushed our current electronics to their absolute limits, writing custom software to use them beyond the manufactures specifications, and are now requesting new data acquisition instrumentation that will take us to the next level. The requested state-of-the-art system is the fastest available on the market and we are ready to take full advantage of its blazing speed. This project will open up the door to study the interactions between light and matter, deemed optomechanics, which at low temperatures may help understand the crossover from the quantum realm to the classical one. And we will be able to develop our real-time explorations of how molecules interact with our nanomechanical devices, which may be useful as sensors for a variety of health and environmental needs. In addition, we will continue using our nanomechanical devices as an ultra-sensitive measurement platform for other physical phenomenon, like nanomagnetism and granular superconductivity, yet vastly improved by this system. At this moment, we have an exciting opportunity to perform ultra-high speed measurements of nanomechanical sensors for cutting edge experiments. But we have to act now to reveal the most exciting physics afforded by this top-of-the-line data acquisition system. With it, our data acquisition system will finally be as good as our experiments.