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This research applies data-driven design frameworks to engineer quasicrystal-based nanomechanical resonators, achieving record-breaking quality factors through aperiodic phononic architectures. By systematically predicting soft clamping behavior in complex 12-fold structures, the study establishes a new paradigm for high-sensitivity force detection beyond traditional periodic crystals. The work represents a significant convergence of machine learning methodologies with mesoscale physics to advance next-generation sensor platforms.
Quasicrystal Architected Nanomechanical Resonators via Data-Driven Design
arXiv:2604.07379v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: From butterfly wings to remnants of nuclear detonation, aperiodic order repeatedly emerges in nature, often exhibiting reduced sensitivity to boundaries and symmetry constraints. Inspired by this principle, a paradigm shift is introduced in nanomechanical resonator design from periodic to aperiodic structures, focusing on a special class: quasicrystals (QCs). Although soft clamping enabled by phononic stopbands has become a central strategy for achieving high-$Q_m$ nanomechanical resonators, its practical realization has been largely confined to periodic phononic crystals, where band structure engineering is well established. The potential of aperiodic architectures, however, has remained largely unexplored, owing to their intrinsic complexity and the lack of systematic approaches to identifying and exploiting stopband behavior. Here we demonstrate that soft clamping can be realized in quasicrystal architectures and that high-$Q_m$ nanomechanical resonators can be systematically predicted through a data-driven design framework. As a representative demonstration, the 12-fold QC-based resonator obtained numerically a quality factor $Q_m \sim 10^7$ and an effective mass of sub-nanograms at MHz frequencies, corresponding to an exceptional force sensitivity of $26.4$~aN/$\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ compared to previous 2D phononic crystals. These results establish QCs as a robust platform for next-generation nanomechanical resonators and open a new design regime beyond periodic order.
Abstract:From butterfly wings to remnants of nuclear detonation, aperiodic order repeatedly emerges in nature, often exhibiting reduced sensitivity to boundaries and symmetry constraints. Inspired by this principle, a paradigm shift is introduced in nanomechanical resonator design from periodic to aperiodic structures, focusing on a special class: quasicrystals (QCs). Although soft clamping enabled by phononic stopbands has become a central strategy for achieving high-$Q_m$ nanomechanical resonators, its practical realization has been largely confined to periodic phononic crystals, where band structure engineering is well established. The potential of aperiodic architectures, however, has remained largely unexplored, owing to their intrinsic complexity and the lack of systematic approaches to identifying and exploiting stopband behavior. Here we demonstrate that soft clamping can be realized in quasicrystal architectures and that high-$Q_m$ nanomechanical resonators can be systematically predicted through a data-driven design framework. As a representative demonstration, the 12-fold QC-based resonator obtained numerically a quality factor $Q_m \sim 10^7$ and an effective mass of sub-nanograms at MHz frequencies, corresponding to an exceptional force sensitivity of $26.4$~aN/$\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ compared to previous 2D phononic crystals. These results establish QCs as a robust platform for next-generation nanomechanical resonators and open a new design regime beyond periodic order.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall); Machine Learning (cs.LG); Applied Physics (physics.app-ph)
arXiv:2604.07379 [cond-mat.mes-hall]
(or arXiv:2604.07379v2 [cond-mat.mes-hall] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.07379 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2026.102528 Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources
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