Ultrasensitive mass sensing using mode localization in coupled microcantilevers

Journal Article · Mon Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2216889· OSTI ID:20779426

Spletzer, Matthew; Raman, Arvind; Wu, Alexander Q; Xianfan, Xu; Reifenberger, Ron ^[1]

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1. School of Mechanical Engineering and Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States)

We use Anderson or vibration localization in coupled microcantilevers as an extremely sensitive method to detect the added mass of a target analyte. We focus on the resonance frequencies and eigenstates of two nearly identical coupled gold-foil microcantilevers. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the relative changes in the eigenstates due to the added mass can be orders of magnitude greater than the relative changes in resonance frequencies. Moreover this sensing paradigm possesses intrinsic common mode rejection characteristics thus providing an alternate way to achieve ultrasensitive mass detection under ambient conditions.

• OSTI ID: 20779426
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 88, Issue 25; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2216889; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DETECTION
EIGENSTATES
FOILS
GOLD
MASS
RESONANCE