Synchronized motion of noncontact rack-and-pinion devices subject to thermal noise

• Published in: International journal of non-linear mechanics Vol. 99; pp. 273 - 280
• Main Authors: Miri, MirFaez, Etesami, Zahra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Lateral Casimir force; Lifts; Mechanics; Microelectromechanical systems; Nanomachine; Nanotechnology devices; Noise; Pinions; Synchronization; Thermal noise; Torsion; 99-00; Thermal noise; 00-01; Synchronization; Lateral Casimir force; Nanomachine
• ISSN: 0020-7462; 1878-5638
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2017.12.007

We study a submicron device composed of one rack and N pinions. The pinions are coupled via the torsional springs. The rack and pinions have no contact, but are intermeshed via the lateral Casimir force. We show that even extremely soft torsional springs allow synchronized motion of N pinions. The total load that the machine lifts up, increases almost linearly with N. The synchronized state blooms even if the spring constants and the distances between the rack and the pinions are not tuned, and the thermal noise looms. These results lead one to be optimistic about harnessing the Casimir force at the nanoscale and the realization of a new generation of nanodevices. •An array of noncontact rack and pinion devices can be synchronized via the soft torsional springs.•The total load that the machine lifts up , increases almost linearly with the number of pinions.•The synchronized state blooms even if the structural randomness and the thermal noise loom.