Advancing Sensing Technology With Microdevices

ECE Assistant Professors Marco Colangelo, Benyamin Davaji, and Associate Professor Cristian Cassella had their research on “Localized Topological States Beyond Fano Resonances via Counter-Propagating Wave Mode Conversion in Piezoelectric Microelectromechanical Devices” published in Nature Communications.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53925-8
Abstract Source: Nature
A variety of scientific fields like proteomics and spintronics have created a new demand for on-chip devices capable of sensing parameters localized within a few tens of micrometers. Nano and microelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) are extensively employed for monitoring parameters that exert uniform forces over hundreds of micrometers or more, such as acceleration, pressure, and magnetic fields. However, they can show significantly degraded sensing performance when targeting more localized parameters, like the mass of a single cell. To address this challenge, we present a MEMS device that leverages the destructive interference of two topological radiofrequency (RF) counter-propagating wave modes along a piezoelectric Aluminum Scandium Nitride (AlScN) Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) interface. The reported MEMS device opens up opportunities for further purposes, including achieving more stable frequency sources for communication and timing applications.