Nonlinear dissipation in diamond nanoelectromechanical resonators

Dissipation of energy in micro- and nano-electromechanical resonators governs their dynamical response and limits their potential use in device applications. Quantified by the quality factor Q, dissipation (Q⁻¹) usually occurs by energy loss mechanisms that are linear, appearing as a damping term proportional to the velocity. Mechanisms of linear dissipation in micro- and nano-mechanical resonators are well studied both theoretically and experimentally. Mechanisms of nonlinear dissipation of energy, however, are rarely studied, though their effects could be fundamentally important to the operation of numerous devices based on nonlinear resonators such as switches, signal processers, sensors, and energy harvesting systems. Here, we report experimental observation of nonlinear dissipation in diamond nanoelectromechanical resonators.