Patent · US Active

Nonlinearity induced synchronization enhancement in mechanical oscillators

US9966966B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 20, 2016
Grant dateMay 8, 2018
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 15, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K2005/00286
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An autonomous oscillator synchronizes to an external harmonic force only when the forcing frequency lies within a certain interval, known as the synchronization range, around the oscillator's natural frequency. Under ordinary conditions, the width of the synchronization range decreases when the oscillation amplitude grows, which constrains synchronized motion of micro- and nano-mechanical resonators to narrow frequency and amplitude bounds. The present invention shows that nonlinearity in the oscillator can be exploited to manifest a regime where the synchronization range increases with an increasing oscillation amplitude. The present invention shows that nonlinearities in specific configurations of oscillator systems, as described herein, are the key determinants of the effect. The present invention presents a new configuration and operation regime that enhances the synchronization of micro- and nano-mechanical oscillators by capitalizing on their intrinsic nonlinear dynamics.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.