13–19 Jun 2015
University of Alberta
America/Edmonton timezone
Welcome to the 2015 CAP Congress! / Bienvenue au congrès de l'ACP 2015!

Applying nano-optomechanics to mass sensing

18 Jun 2015, 14:15
30m
CCIS L2-200 (University of Alberta)

CCIS L2-200

University of Alberta

Invited Speaker / Conférencier invité Condensed Matter and Materials Physics / Physique de la matière condensée et matériaux (DCMMP-DPMCM) R2-1 Optomechanics - minisymposium II (DCMMP-DAMOPC) / Optomécanique - minisymposium II (DPMCM-DPAMPC)

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)

Presentation materials

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