1.27 GHz Graphene-Aluminum Nitride nano plate resonant infrared detector

This paper reports on the Infrared (IR) detection capabilities of a 1.27 GHz Graphene-Aluminum Nitride (G-AlN) nano-plate resonator. For the first time we demonstrate that by using a virtually massless graphene electrode, floating at the van der Waals separation of a few angstroms from a piezoelectric nano-plate (zero interfacial strain), it is possible to implement ultra-thin (460 nm) piezoelectric nanomechanical resonant structures operating in the GHz range with improved electromechanical performance (2X improved f·Q) and IR detection capabilities (>100X improved IR absorptance) compared to conventional devices employing metal electrodes. The demonstrated achievement of low damping, efficient electromechanical transduction and high IR responsivity, in nanomechanical resonant structures with reduced volume and higher vibration frequency, addresses one of the most fundamental challenges in the NEMS field opening exciting new directions in nanotechnology.