Nanoelectromechanics of shuttle devices

Journal article, 2013

A single-electron tunneling (SET) device with a nanoscale central island that can move with respect to the bulk sourceand drain electrodes allows for a nanoelectromechanical (NEM) coupling between the electrical current through the device and the mechanical vibrations of the island. Although the electromechanical “shuttle” instability and the associated phenomenon of single-electron shuttling were predicted more than 15 years ago, both theoretical and experimental studies of NEM-SET structures are still carried out. New functionalities based on quantum coherence, Coulomb correlations and coherent electron-spin dynamics are still of particular interest. In this article we present a short review of recent activities in this area.