** Outline **
The phrase “no moving parts” is misleading; mechanical oscillators are the beating heart of modern technology. Whether it’s the vibration of quartz crystals setting the pace of computation, or surface acoustic wave devices amplifying signals in smartphones, mechanical oscillators are truly ubiquitous.
Micro-Electromechanical Systems, or MEMS devices, dominate research into mechanical devices with technological applications. Due to their ability to be mass fabricated, they have found applications as sensors in industries ranging from healthcare to VR gaming.
Their sensing performance is ultimately limited by the energy they dissipate during operation, a problem which gets worse with decreasing size. LeviTech proposed a non-obvious and inventive solution: levitation of the mechanical oscillator. By physically untethering from the environment, most energy dissipation pathways are closed, leading to ultra low-dissipation in what we term L-MEMS devices.
To lay the groundwork for technological exploitation, LeviTech outlines a programme of miniaturization of both optical and electrical trapping technologies, to an intermediate state suitable for state-of-the-art sensing, generation of IP, commercial collaboration, and potential prototyping.
** Work performed during the project and Impact **
During this project we developed several key pieces of technology related to the optical trapping of nanoparticles. We focussed on making existing techniques more robust, and developed a method for trapping nanoparticles directly in vacuum with a duty cycle of 1 second and an 80% success rate. The previous method used internationally involved a 10-20 minute duty cycle. This work was published. We miniaturized the trapping technology, taking it to an intermediate stage suitable for prototyping. We commissioned the commercial development of specialist silicon nanoparticles, which were not previously available, and now can be purchased by the international community.
We did a thorough scoping process of applications of optically levitated sensors, talking to stakeholders in the space industry, and at international facilities such as the particle accelerator CERN and the gravitational wave detector LIGO. This enabled us to secure an industrial partner, who will fund future development of the technology (details cannot be disclosed at this point).
In parallel we worked on electrical trapping technologies. This is a newer, less developed technology. Major successes in this area include successful particle levitation in miniaturized particle traps, a new industrial partnership, and development of new imaging technology which has led to a publication. We continue to develop this technology, and are aiming to fund it through an EIC Transition grant.
