Frequency stability is key to the performance of nanoresonators. This stability is thought to reach a limit with the resonator's ability to resolve thermally induced vibrations. Although measurements and predictions of resonator stability usually disregard fluctuations in the mechanical frequency response, these fluctuations have recently attracted considerable theoretical interest. However, their existence is very difficult to demonstrate experimentally. Here, through a literature review, we show that all studies of frequency stability report values several orders of magnitude larger than the limit imposed by thermomechanical noise. We studied a monocrystalline silicon nanoresonator at room temperature and found a similar discrepancy. We propose a new method to show that this was due to the presence of frequency fluctuations, of unexpected level. The fluctuations were not due to the instrumentation system, or to any other of the known sources investigated. These results challenge our current understanding of frequency fluctuations and call for a change in practices.

We report an actuation/detection scheme with a top-down nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) for frequency shift based sensing applications with outstanding performance. It relies on electrostatic actuation and piezoresistive nanowire gauges for in-plane motion transduction. The process fabrication is fully CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) compatible. The results show a very large dynamic range of more than 100 dB and an unprecedented signal to background ratio of 69 dB providing an improvement of two orders of magnitude in the detection efficiency presented in the state of the art in NEMS fields. Such a dynamic range results from both negligible 1/f noise and very low Johnson noise compared to the thermomechanical noise. This simple low power detection scheme paves the way for new class of robust mass resonant sensors.

Bridging the mass gap: Viruses and many large biomolecule complexes are in a mass range that is challenging to measure with conventional mass spectrometry methods. Nanomechanical resonators can determine masses of impacting molecules, but separation methods often lose too much of the sample to be efficient. Dominguez-Medina et al. used an aerodynamic lens that improved separation and focusing of nebulized molecules with increasing mass. The mass of both filled and empty viral capsids was determined with an array of 20 nanoresonators. Science , this issue p. 918

Nanomechanical mass spectrometry has proven to be well suited for the analysis of high mass species such as viruses. Still, the use of one-dimensional devices such as vibrating beams forces a trade-off between analysis time and mass resolution. Complex readout schemes are also required to simultaneously monitor multiple resonance modes, which degrades resolution. These issues restrict nanomechanical MS to specific species. We demonstrate here single-particle mass spectrometry with nano-optomechanical resonators fabricated with a Very Large Scale Integration process. The unique motion sensitivity of optomechanics allows designs that are impervious to particle position, stiffness or shape, opening the way to the analysis of large aspect ratio biological objects of great significance such as viruses with a tail or fibrils. Compared to top-down beam resonators with electrical read-out and state-of-the-art mass resolution, we show a three-fold improvement in capture area with no resolution degradation, despite the use of a single resonance mode.

We show that the Casimir force (CF) gradient can be measured with no contact involved. Results of the CF measurement with systematic uncertainty of 3% are presented for the distance range of 100–600 nm. The statistical uncertainty is shown to be due to the thermal fluctuations of the force probe. The corresponding signal-to-noise ratio equals unity at the distance of 600 nm. Direct contact between surfaces used in most previous studies to determine absolute distance separation is here precluded. Use of direct contact to identify the origin of distances is a severe limitation for studies of the CF on structured surfaces as it deteriorates irreversibly the studied surface and the probe. This force machine uses a dynamical method with an inserted gold sphere probe glued to a lever. The lever is mechanically excited at resonant frequency in front of a chosen sample. The absolute distance determination is achieved to be possible, without any direct probe/sample contact, using an electrostatic method associated to a real time correction of the mechanical drift. The positioning shift uncertainty is as low as 2 nm. Use of this instrument to probe a very thin film of gold (10 nm) reveals important spatial variations in the measurement.