Nano actuator and “pull-back” nonlinearity

Abstract

This paper presents an optical force driven nano-machined actuator and the “pull-back” effect of a free-standing arc in an opto-mechanical ring resonator system. This nano-actuator obtains a maximal central displacement of 43.1 nm, with an actuation resolution of 0.28 nm, via tuning the wavelength of the control light at a fixed optical power of 2.8 mW. The “pull-back” effect occurs at the maximal displacement position, which is studied by the combination of experiments and simulation. Potential applications include bio-nano-motor, all-optical switches and opto-mechanical memories.