Sunday, November 11, 2012

Driving a Macroscopic Oscillator with the Stochastic Motion of a Hydrogen Molecule


Christian Lotze, Martina Corso, Katharina J. Franke, Felix von Oppen, Jose Ignacio Pascual

Energy harvesting from noise is a paradigm proposed by the theory of stochastic resonances. We demonstrate that the random switching of a hydrogen (H2) molecule can drive the oscillation of a macroscopic mechanical resonator. The H2 motion was activated by tunneling electrons and caused fluctuations of the forces sensed by the tip of a noncontact atomic force microscope. The stochastic molecular noise and the periodic oscillation of the tip were coupled in a concerted dynamic that drives the system into self-oscillation. This phenomenon could be a way for enhancing the transfer of energy from incoherent sources into coherent dynamics of a molecular engine.

DOI

Journal: Science

No comments:

Post a Comment