We use cutting-edge techniques to create three-dimensional suspended mechanical structures on sub-micron and nanometer scale. These nanomechanical devices with appropriate measurement techniques enable detection of forces and torques with unprecedented sensitivity. Typical forces of interest are fundamental quantum forces or biological forces arising due to the binding of an antibody-antigen pair. Recently, we have been able to detect torque generated by electron spin flip at a level smaller than the torque created by the unwinding of a doubly-stranded DNA.

Our research themes are focused on some of the important problems of our times: realization of macroscopic quantum systems, mechanical detection of electron spin flip, development of novel nanomechanical computation architectures and nanoelectronic detection of cancer biomarkers for early diagnosis.

We perform every aspect of the experimental work: design and simulation, nanofabrication, materials processing, characterization, and measurements at high frequencies (< 40 GHz), short time scales (> 40 ps), high fields (< 16 tesla) and low temperatures (> 6 mK). Check out our facilities and publications for more details. Check out the links above to get a glimpse of what we are working on now.

Nanoelectronic devices—-ultra small electronic structures, even smaller than one of the 1 billion devices in the current Intel microprocesser chip, because of their small size and large surface-to-volume ratio, enable innovative measurements of the surface charge profile of the nanowire conduction channel. Using these nano-channel devices, we have been able to detect hydrogen ions (pH), glucose, protein and—-more importantly, cancer-specific biomarkers at a level relevant for clinical use. We continue to build more sophisticated nanowire field effect transistors with complex circuits, designed to take advantage of much more advanced on-chip signal processing.

Selected Publications

Nanoelectronic detection of breast cancer biomarker, Appl. Phys. Lett., 97 (23), 233702 (2010), APL

Synchronized oscillation in coupled nanomechanical oscillators, Science 316, 95 (2007), Science local pdf

Silicon-based nanochannel glucose sensor, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 013903 (2008), APL local pdf

Nanoscale field effect transistors for biomolecular signal amplification, Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 243511 (2007), APL local pdf

Coherent signal amplification in bistable nanomechanical oscillators by stochastic resonance, Nature 437, 995 (2005), Nature local pdf

Nanomechanical detection of itinerant electron spin flip, Nature Nanotechnology 3, 720 (2008), Nature Nanotech.

For all publications, click here