Silicon Nanomechanical Resonators and Large Scale Optomechanics for Sensing

CEA LETI has extensive expertise in silicon nanomechanical resonators for sensing, culminating with the first start-up for chemical sensing with NEMS in 2012. We have also more recently developed a nanomechanical resonator-based mass spectrometry system and performed the first mass analysis of biological particles such as viruses. These developments have required large scale technological efforts, fundamental studies like non-linearities and noise processes at the nanoscale, as well as applied demonstrations. In the last 7 years, LETI has developed a large scale platform for optomechanical resonators, with the objective to make their use as mainstream as their electrical counterparts. Sensing demonstrations will be presented.