Like a candle in the wind: flicker noise in nano-optomechanical systems

就像风中的蜡烛：纳米光机械系统中的闪烁噪声

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-05978
• 负责人: Hiebert, Wayne
• 金额: $ 2.99万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=740953
• 关键词: Like; candle; wind; flicker; noise

The frequency stability level of mechanical systems, including nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and nano-optomechanical systems (NOMS), is of paramount importance to their performance, both as ultrasensitive sensors, and as reference oscillators. Recent work in our field has shown that this performance is almost never limited by the fundamental noise source of thermomechanical noise, as one would desire, but rather is almost always limited by frequency flicker noise. A recent breakthrough [Roy, Sauer, Westwood-Bachman, Venkatasubramanian, Hiebert (2018) Science 360, eaar5220] established the surprising result that precision mechanical resonator performance can be maintained and even improved by reducing quality factor (increasing damping). The improvement in frequency stability with damping seems to be related to suppression of this ubiquitous flicker noise through the thermal conduction of surrounding (damping) air. Following on from this breakthrough work, we seek to explore the realm of flicker noise contribution to NEMS and NOMS frequency stability. Using tuning knobs of: air damping, device dimension, device temperature coefficient (tunable through internal stress), optomechanical spring tuning, optomechanical coupling, and temperature, we will thoroughly explore and understand the source of flicker noise in NOMS devices, identifying which of two competing models explain the noise throughout this parameter space. Once well-understood, we will design devices to minimize and eliminate this noise in order to reach the fundamental noise level, and ultimate frequency stability limit, of NOMS systems. Combining air damping and its flicker mitigation channel with high-finesse optomechanics will allow self-oscillation of NOMS devices even in highly-damped conditions. Ultimate limit frequency stability in such NOMS oscillators that operate in ambient air will ultimately lead to profound advancements in sensor technology, such as single-Da mass spectrometry in air.

机械系统的频率稳定水平，包括纳米机电系统（NEMS）和纳米机电系统（NOMS），对于其性能，既是超敏感传感器又是参考振荡器至关重要。我们领域的最新工作表明，这种性能几乎永远不会受到热机械噪声的基本噪声来源的限制，而是人们想要的，而是几乎总是受到频率闪烁噪声的限制。最近的突破[Roy，Sauer，Westwood-Bachman，Venkatasubramanian，Hiebert（2018）Science 360​​，EAAR5220]确定了令人惊讶的结果，即可以通过降低质量因子（增加阻尼）来保持精确的机械谐振器的性能，甚至可以通过降低质量因子来维持，甚至可以改善。通过阻尼的频率稳定性的提高似乎与通过周围空气的热传导（阻尼）空气的热传导抑制这种无处不在的闪烁噪声有关。从这项突破性工作开始，我们试图探索闪烁噪声对NEM的贡献和NOM频率稳定性的领域。使用：空气阻尼，设备尺寸，设备温度系数（可通过内部应力调整），光学机械弹簧调整，光学机械耦合和温度，我们将彻底探索和理解Noms设备中闪烁噪声的来源，确定两个竞争模型中的哪个噪声中的噪声中的哪个噪声。一旦得到充分理解，我们将设计设备以最大程度地减少和消除这种噪声，以达到NOMS系统的基本噪声水平和最终的频率稳定性限制。将空气阻尼及其闪烁的缓解通道与高技能力学相结合，即使在高压抑制的条件下，也可以自振荡NOMS设备。在环境空气中运行的此类NOM振荡器中的最终极限频率稳定性最终将导致传感器技术的深刻进步，例如空气中的单DA质谱。