Speaker
Wayne Hiebert
(National Institute for Nanotechnology)
Description
The ultrasensitivity enabled by nano-optomechanical systems has rich potential from torque sensors able to see nanoscale magnet volumes to cantilever mass sensors able to weigh single large molecules. Mass sensitivity is determined from a combination of mechanical resonance sharpness (quality factor) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). With optomechanics, the signal readout technique is no longer the limiting factor to the latter – more fundamental noise sources become visible such as thermomechanical noise. By maximizing the SNR, sensitivity can even improve as quality factor falls. The implications of this are that mechanical resonators can remain ultrasensitive in ambient conditions where the resonance quality suffers due to fluid damping, and even in liquid environments. This opens up a host of sensing applications from gas chromatography to affinity bioassays, as well as many end-uses including environmental monitoring and microassay based disease diagnosis.
Primary author
Wayne Hiebert
(National Institute for Nanotechnology)
Co-authors
Dr
Anandram Venkatasubramanian
(University of Alberta and NINT)
Ms
Jocelyn Bachman
(University of Alberta and NINT)
Mr
Swapan Roy
(University of Alberta and NINT)
