Nanomechanical Measurement of the Brownian Force Noise in a Viscous Liquid

Abstract

We study the spectral properties of the thermal force giving rise to the Brownian motion of a continuous mechanical system -- namely, a nanomechanical beam resonator -- in a viscous liquid. To this end, we perform two separate sets of experiments. First, we measure the power spectral density (PSD) of the position fluctuations of the resonator around its fundamental mode at its center. Then, we measure the frequency-dependent linear response of the resonator, again at its center, by driving it with a harmonic force that couples well to the fundamental mode. These two measurements allow us to determine the PSD of the Brownian force noise acting on the structure in its fundamental mode. The PSD of the force noise extracted from multiple resonators spanning a broad frequency range displays a "colored spectrum". Using a single-mode theory, we show that, around the fundamental resonances of the resonators, the PSD of the force noise follows the dissipation of a blade oscillating in a viscous liquid -- by virtue of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.

Main Article 7 Pages, 4 figures, 1 table; supplementary 22 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables; to be published in ACS Nanoletters

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