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Cascade of Modal Interactions in Nanomechanical Resonators with Soft Clamping

Zichao Li1, Minxing Xu1,2, Richard A. Norte1,2, Alejandro M. Aragón1, Peter G. Steeneken1,2, and Farbod Alijani1

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 097202 – Published 2 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/73wb-22pz

Abstract

We uncover a chain of nonlinear modal interactions in softly clamped nanostring resonators. The process involves the sequential coupling of five mechanical modes, during frequency sweeps, yielding a broad nonlinear response with nearly constant amplitude. We demonstrate that soft clamping enables this cascaded energy transfer and amplifies the effective geometric nonlinearity of the driven mode by an order of magnitude. Analytical and finite element-based reduced-order models capture the key features of the coupling cascade and clarify its underlying mechanism. The phenomenon is generic in nonlinear vibrational systems and can be tailored through soft-clamping design strategies.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 097202– Published 2 March, 2026
  • Received 18 July 2025
  • Accepted 3 February 2026
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