Page 54 - Principles and Applications of NanoMEMS Physics

Chapter 2

NANOMEMS PHYSICS: QUANTUM WAVE-
PARTICLE PHENOMENA

2.1 Introduction

As discussed in Chapter 1, NanoMEMS aims at exploiting the convergence
between nanotechnology and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) brought
about by advances in the ability to fabricate nanometer-scale electronic and
mechanical device structures. This novel paradigm, in turn, poses an interesting
challenge from the device physics point of view. In particular, the invention and/or
discovery of a plethora of new materials, concepts and techniques such as carbon
nanotubes (CNTs) [17], photonic band-gap crystals (PBCs) [51], and MEMS [52-
55], respectively, has opened up new possibilities to implement novel devices upon
which a new “electronics” technology, with attributes that are far superior to
everything known to date, may be predicated. With the simultaneous convergence
and exploitability, at such small length scales (e.g., down to a few nanometers), of
various types of physical properties and effects, for instance, electronic, mechanical,
optical, and magnetic and quantum effects, the nature of the concomitant new
universe of devices and circuits that will fuel this new electronics will clearly be
vast, yet, it is at present mostly unknown. In this context, many domains of physics,
not usually invoked in describing the behavior of prior-art devices, become
simultaneously pertinent. Such elements include [56], the manifestation of charge
discreteness, the quantum electrodynamical (QED) Casimir effect, quantized heat
flow, manifestation of the wave nature of electrons, quantum information theory,
computing and communications, wave behavior in periodic and non-periodic media,
and quantum squeezing. In this chapter, and the following, we expose fundamental
knowledge required to analyze devices exploiting these phenomena.