Rassul Karabalin, Ph. D.


Dr. Rassul Karabalin is a staff scientist at California Institute of Technology. As a member of the Michael Roukes research group, he is leading a team focused on building small mechanical structures, exciting and detecting infinitesimal mechanical motion, studying the intricate dynamics, and applying the findings to address important problems. He developed novel materials and innovative transduction methods. Clever use of the resonators dynamics in both linear and nonlinear regime yielded the development of such promising technologies as parametric and bifurcation amplifiers. His thorough research efforts enabled his group to answer fundamental elasticity theory questions that are crucial to evaluating the operating limits of NEMS as sensors. He was leading a research effort in large DARPA program that succeeded in challenging conventional paradigms of oscillator technology and improved the frequency stability by two orders of magnitude beyond what was considered possible. Throughout his career he has significantly contributed to multiple projects ranging from biomedical applications, to neuron readout technology, to gas sensing, to temperature sensing for nuclear technology, to electromechanical switches for integrated circuits.

            Publications

  1. L. G. Villanueva, E. Kenig, R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, R. Lifshitz, M. C. Cross, M. L. Roukes “Surpassing Fundamental Limits of Oscillators Using Nonlinear Resonators”, Phys. Rev. Lett 110, 177208, (2013). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.177208

  2. M. H. Matheny, L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, J. E. Sader, M. L. Roukes “Nonlinear Mode-Coupling in Nanomechanical Systems”, Nano Letters 13, 1622-1626, (2013). DOI: 10.1021/nl400070e

  3. L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, D. Chi, J. E. Sader, M. L. Roukes “Nonlinearity in nanomechanical cantilevers”, Phys. Rev. B 87, 024304, (2013). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.024304

  4. E. Kenig, M. C. Cross, L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, R. Lifshitz, M. L. Roukes “Optimal operating points of oscillators using nonlinear resonators”, Phys. Rev. E 86, 056207 (2012). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.056207

  5. E. Kenig, M. C. Cross, R. Lifshitz, R. B. Karabalin, L. G. Villanueva, M. H. Matheny, M. L. Roukes “Passive Phase Noise Cancellation Scheme”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 264102(2012). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.264102

  6. R. B. Karabalin, L. G. Villanueva, M. H. Matheny, J. E. Sader, M. L. Roukes “Stress-Induced Variations in the Stiffness of Micro- and Nanocantilever Beams”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 236101 (2012). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.236101

  7. L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, E. Kenig, M. C. Cross, M. L. Roukes “A Nanoscale Parametric Feedback Oscillator”, Nano Letters 11, 5054-5059, (2011). DOI: 10.1021/nl2031162

  8. P. Ivaldi, J. Abergel, M. H. Matheny, L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, M. L. Roukes, P. Andreucci, S. Hentz, E. Defay "50 nm Thick AlN Film-Based Piezoelectric Cantilevers for Gravimetric Detection", J. Micromech. Microeng. 21, 8, 085023 (2011). DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/21/8/085023

  9. R. B. Karabalin, R. Lifshitz, M. C. Cross, M. H. Matheny, S. C. Masmanidis, M. L. Roukes “Signal Amplification by Sensitive Control of Bifurcation Topology”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 094102 (2011). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.094102

  10. R. B. Karabalin, S. C. Masmanidis, M. L. Roukes “Parametric Amplification in High Frequency Piezoelectric Nanomechanical Systems”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 183101 (2010). DOI: 10.1063/1.3505500

  11. A. S. Sadek, R. B. Karabalin, J. Du, M. L. Roukes, C. Koch, S. C. Masmanidis "Wiring Nanoscale Biosensors with Piezoelectric Nanomechanical Resonators", Nano Letters 10, 5, 1769-1773 (2010). DOI: 10.1021/nl100245z

  12. R. B. Karabalin, X. L. Feng, M. L. Roukes, “Parametric Nanomechanical Amplification at Very High Frequency”, Nano Letters 9, 9, 3116-3123 (2009). DOI: 10.1021/nl901057c

  13. R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, X. L. Feng, E. Defay, G. Le Rhun, C. Marcoux, S. Hentz, P. Andreucci, M. L. Roukes “Piezoelectric Nanoelectromechanical Resonators Based on Aluminum Nitride Thin Films”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 10, 103111 (2009). DOI: 10.1063/1.3216586

  14. R. B. Karabalin, M. C. Cross, M. L. Roukes “Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos in Two Coupled Nanomechanical Resonators”, Phys. Rev. B 79, 16, 165309 (2009). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.79.165309

  15. S. C. Masmanidis, R. B. Karabalin, I. Vlaminck, G. Borghs, M. R. Freeman, M. L. Roukes “Multifunctional Nanomechanical Systems Enabled by Piezoelectric Actuation with Tunable Coupling”, Science 317, 780-783 (2007). DOI: 10.1126/science.1144793

           Patents

  1. US Patent US 8378758,“Parametric feedback oscillators”

  2. US Patent US 8350578, "Wiring nanoscale sensors nanomechanical resonators"

  3. US Patent US 8258899, “Nano-electro-mechanical systems switches”

  4. US Patent US 8115344, “Very low voltage, ultrafast nanoelectromechanical switches and resonant switches”

  5. US Patent US 8044556, “Highly efficient, charge depletion-mediated, voltage-tunable actuation efficiency and resonance frequency of piezoelectric semiconductor nanoelectromechanical systems resonators".

         Books

  1. R. Karabalin and M. L. Roukes, contributed book chapter "Nonlinear Nanoelectromechanical Systems" for "Fluctuating Nonlinear Oscillators from Nanomechanics to Superconducting Circuits" edited by Mark Dykman, Oxford University Press, (2012). ISBN-13: 978-0199691388

          Talks and Presentations

  1. R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, L. G. Villanueva, D. Chi, M. L. Roukes, "Fabrication of Piezoelectric Nanomechanical Systems", Invited Talk at Etch Tech 2012: Pushing the Limits Workshop, Pasadena, CA, July, 2012

  2. L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, E. Kenig, M.C. Cross, M.L. Roukes, “Nonlinear Oscillators in NEMS”, Invited Talk at the NEMS-Barcelona Workshop, Barcelona, Spain, May 2012

  3. L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, E. Kenig, M.C. Cross, M.L. Roukes, “Nonlinear Dynamics in NEMS”, Invited Talk at the International Workshop in NEMS, Toulouse, France, July 2011

  4. M. H. Matheny, L. G. Villanueva, R. B. Karabalin, J.E. Sader, M.L. Roukes, “Control of Nonlinearity in a Doubly-Clamped Nanomechanical Beams”, Poster for IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium, San Francisco, CA, May 2011

  5. R. B. Karabalin, M. L. Roukes, "Advances with Nonlinear Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS)", Lille, France, June 2010

  6. R. B. Karabalin, M. H. Matheny, L. G. Villanueva, X. L. Feng, S. C. Masmanidis, E. Defaÿ, G. Le Rhun, C. Marcoux, S. Hentz, P. Andreucci, M. L. Roukes, “Piezoelectric Nanomechanical Devices”, Lecture for IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium, Newport Beach, CA, June 2010

  7. R. B. Karabalin, S. C. Masmanidis, X. L. Feng, M. L. Roukes, "Next-Generation NEMS Functionality Enable by Advances in Novel Materials", Workshop on Opportunities for Magnetism in MEMS/NEMS, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne Il, April 2010

  8. X.L. Feng, M. H. Matheny, R. B. Karabalin, C. A. Zorman, M. Mehregany, M. L. Roukes, Digest of Technical Papers, The 15th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers'09), 2246-2249, Denver, Colorado, USA, June 21-25 (2009)

  9. A. S. Sadek, R. B. Karabalin, J. Du, M. L. Roukes, C. Koch, G. Laurent, S. C. Masmanidis, “Detection of Extracellular Potentials Using a Mechanical-Based Nanosensor”, Computational and systems neuroscience, Salt Lake City, UT, February 2009

  10. Jie Xiang, X. L. Feng, R. B. Karabalin, Y. Li, Y. Dong, C. M. Lieber, M. L. Roukes, “Integrated Nanoelectromechanical Resonators Employing Piezoelectric AlN Nanowires” Material Research Society Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 2008

  11. R. B. Karabalin, S. C. Masmanidis , Ron Lifshitz , M. C. Cross , M. L. Roukes, “Novel Parametric Actuation Scheme in Piezoelectric NEMS”, APS March Meeting, Denver, CO, March 2007

  12. R. B. Karabalin, I. Bargatin, M. C. Cross, I. Kozinsky, Ron Lifshitz, S. C. Masmanidis, H. W. Ch. Postma, M. L. Roukes, “Advances in Nonlinear NEMS”, Workshop on QEM-2 by KNI Caltech, Morro Bay, CA, December 2006 

             Honors and Awards
          Contact information
e-mail
rassul at caltech.edu
 
address
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd., MC 149-33
Pasadena, CA, 91125
 
phone
(626) 395-8040
 
fax
(626) 395-3955