Title:

On the Dynamics of Electromagnetically-Transduced Microresonators and Associated Arrays

Speaker:

Prof. Jeffrey Rhoads

Affiliation:

School of Mechanical Engineering,Birck Nanotechnology Center and Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, Purdue University

When:

Friday, June 7, 2013 at 3:00:00 PM   Add to Calendar

Where:

MRDC Building, Room 4211

Host:

Dr. Michael Leamy
michael.leamy@me.gatech.edu

Abstract

This presentation will focus on the dynamics of electromagnetically-actuated and sensed microresonators and associated arrays. These systems consist of a mechanically-isolated silicon microcantilever, or corresponding array structure, and a current-carrying metallic wire loop. When placed in a permanent magnetic field and a current is supplied, the device vibrates due to Lorentz interactions. These vibrations, in turn, induce an electromotive force, which can be correlated to the dynamic response of the device. The nature of this transduction process results in an intrinsic coupling between the system’s input and output, which must be analytically and experimentally characterized to fully understand the dynamics of the device of interest. This presentation will address this need through a discussion of the modeling, analysis, and experimental characterization of the response of electromagnetically-transduced microcantilevers, and associated arrays, in the presence of inductive and resistive coupling between the devices’ input and output ports. A complete understanding of this behavior should enable the application of electromagnetically-transduced microsystems in practical contexts ranging from resonant mass sensing to micromechanical signal processing.

Biography

Jeffrey F. Rhoads is an Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University and is affiliated with both the Birck Nanotechnology Center and Ray W. Herrick Laboratories at the same institution. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees, each in mechanical engineering, from Michigan State University in 2002, 2004, and 2007, respectively. Dr. Rhoads’ current research interests include the predictive design, analysis, and implementation of resonant micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) for use in chemical and biological sensing, electromechanical signal processing, and computing; the dynamics of parametrically-excited systems and coupled oscillators; and the behavior of mechanical systems operating in rich, multi-physics environments. Dr. Rhoads is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), where he serves on the Student Design Committee and the Design Engineering Division’s Technical Committees on Micro/Nanosystems and Vibration and Sound. Dr. Rhoads is a 2009 recipient of the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, a two time recipient of the Purdue University School of Mechanical Engineering’s Harry L. Solberg Best Teacher Award (2009, 2013), and a 2011 recipient of the ASEE Mechanics Division’s Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston, Jr. Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award.

Notes

Refreshments will be served.