CONTEXT :

Inspired by recent achievements in optomechanics, we propose to investigate a coupled nanoelectromechanical resonator (NEMS) network in a microwave optomechanical scheme, in which the NEMS is the analog unit to mimic neurons and microwave photons are information bus in the network to dynamically control the cavity force acting on the NEMS. The microwave optomechanical system offers cavity forces and the nonlinearity from NEMS, which allow to synchronize a NEMS network for building a computing function. Based on this platform, the objective of this project is to demonstrate thermal fluctuation recognition, by combining sensing and computing functions in the coupled NEMS network. The concept and method, to be demonstrated by this project, is of broad impact since it is directly applicable to other platforms for smart sensing applications. The success of this project will bring smart thermometry on-chip and build the essential base for pursuing neuro-inspired parallel computing in the future.

See our recent publications: [1]. Coupling Capacitively Distinct Mechanical Resonators for Room-Temperature Phonon-Cavity Electromechanics, Nano Lett. (2022), 22, 18, 7351–7357, arxiv.org/abs/2204.04641 [2]. High-Q silicon nitride drum resonators strongly coupled to gates, arXiv preprint arxiv.org/abs/2104.07142 , also Nano Lett. 21 (13), 5738-5744 (2021)

OBJECTIVES :

1. Coupled NEMS networks in microwave optomechanical scheme
2. Neuron inspired computing functions
3. Smart thermometry on-chip