PHONONIC CIRCUITS WITH NONLINEAR NANOMECHANICAL OSCILLATORS

Objective

Phononic integrated circuits (PnICs) have significant potential in information and communication technology (ICT), with a key challenge being the reduction of phonon transmission losses. Energy or information propagation without losses, as predicted by the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou Recurrence (FPUT-R), has not yet been experimentally demonstrated in nanomechanical oscillators due to three key challenges: the dominance of linear interactions in PnICs, sensitivity to dissipation, and the difficulty of measuring small displacements necessary for FPUT-R analysis. To address these challenges, PIONEER will leverage recent advancements in nonlinear phononic resonators and nanophononic crystal structures. Building on the applicant’s theoretical predictions and the cutting-edge nanotechnology available at the host institution, PIONEER will design, construct, and test FPUT-R in phononic circuits using nonlinear nanomechanical oscillators. The project is driven by the EU's urgent need to reduce energy consumption in ICT and nanoelectronics for energy-efficient smart edge devices, while also aligning with the goals of shaping Europe’s Digital Future. PIONEER represents an extraordinary training opportunity on complementary scientific and soft skills for the applicant and has the potential to enable phononic and photonic integrated energy-efficient smart edge devices for optical data processing, quantum technologies, and Shaping Europe’s digital future and beyond.