Multimode optomechanical weighing of a single nanoparticle

Abstract: We demonstrate multimode optomechanical sensing of individual nanoparticles with radius of a hundred of nanometers. A semiconductor optomechanical disk resonator is optically driven and detected under ambient conditions, as nebulized nanoparticles land on it. Multiple mechanical and optical resonant signals of the disk are tracked simultaneously, providing access to several physical informations about the landing analyte in real-time. Thanks to a fast camera registering the time and position of landing, these signals can be employed to weigh each nanoparticle with precision. Sources of error and deviation are discussed and modeled, indicating a path to evaluate the elasticity of the nanoparticles on top of their mere mass. The device is optimized for future investigation of biological particles in the high megadalton range, such as large viruses.