NCANTO · NONLINEAR DYNAMICS OF FLUCTUATING TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATERIALS IN ACTION

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are unique platforms for studying fundamental science. They bridge the gap between the world of atomic scale dynamics and the world of macroscopic mechanical vibrations. Owing to their small size, they can enable exploration of research areas that lie at the forefront of classical and quantum technologies. But at the same time, their noisy and nonlinear nature limits their performance. This combination of fluctuations and nonlinearities brings to light a new regime of mechanics that has remained largely untapped, and that, if well-understood, can open a wide range of trajectories in high-performance sensing and lab-on-a chip devices.NCANTO aims at elucidating this strong interplay between nonlinearities and noise at the atomic scale, and will leverage the acquired knowledge to engineer 2D nanomechanical devices that (i) offer extreme frequency stability, and (ii) enable robust and highly-sensitive single-cell sensing. To realize this vision, I will explore the influence of a range of nonlinear dynamic phenomena on two important noise sources, namely frequency fluctuations and biological noise. My approach will combine state-of-the-art modelling and experimental techniques to deliver novel designs that utilize nonlinear dynamic phenomena at their core. These designs will quench frequency noise in 2D resonators for breakthrough performance on the one hand, and will enhance biological rhythms at the single-cell level for robust drug screening on the other. By linking stochastic dynamics, nanomechanics, nonlinear dynamics and structural optimization, I will develop a multidisciplinary research area that will enable a ground-breaking leap forward in the utilisation of 2D materials as nonlinear sensors in frequency-based metrology and bio-health. NCANTO will thus not only herald new frontiers in nanomechanics but will also open new routes towards engineering nanotools for rapid screening tests in drug development and personalised medicine.