Frequency Comb from a Single Driven Nonlinear Nanomechanical Mode

Year: 2022

Authors: Ochs J.S., BoneYA D.K.J., Rastelli G., Seitner M., Belzig W., Dykman M.I., Weig E.M.

Autors Affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany. Pitaevskii Center on Bose-Einstein Condensation, CNR-INO and Dipartimento di Fisica dell?Universita di Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123 Trento, Italy. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany. Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), 80799 Munich, Germany. TUM Center for Quantum Engineering (ZQE), 85748 Garching, Germany.

Abstract: Phononic frequency combs have attracted increasing attention both as a qualitatively new type of nonlinear phenomena in vibrational systems and from the point of view of applications. It is commonly believed that at least two modes must be involved in generating a comb. We demonstrate that a comb can be generated by a single nanomechanical mode driven by a resonant monochromatic drive. The comb emerges where the drive is still weak, so the anharmonic part of the mode potential energy remains small. We relate the experimental observation to a negative nonlinear friction induced by the resonant drive, which makes the vibrations at the drive frequency unstable. We directly map the measured trajectories of the emerging oscillations in the rotating frame and show how these oscillations lead to the frequency comb in the laboratory frame. The results go beyond nanomechanics and suggest a qualitatively new approach to generating tunable frequency combs in single-mode vibrational systems. They demonstrate new sides of the interplay of conservative and dissipative nonlinearities in driven systems.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW X

Volume: 12 (4)      Pages from: 041019-1  to: 041019-8

More Information: We are grateful to S. W. Shaw for a useful discussion. J. S. O., D. K. J. B., W. B., and E. M. W. gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) through Project -ID No. 425217212-SFB 1432. J. S. O. and E. M. W. further acknowledge funding from the European Union
KeyWords: nanomechanics, nonlinear resonators, frequency combs
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.12.041019