Wide-bandwidth electromechanical actuators for tunneling displacement transducers

Abstract
A series of displacement,transducers have been demonstrated,which are based on the detection of electrons that quantum-mechanically tunnel across a narrow gap between electrodes. These transducers have important applications due to the sensitivity of the tunneling mechanism to su~A variations in the electrode gap. In this paper, we describe the recent development,of wide-bandwidth electro-mechanical actuators and’simple feedback circuitry which have been adapted for use in tunneling displacement transducers. With these actuators and circuits, we have built tunneling transducers with cormol bandwidths well in excess of 10 kHz. The design, fabrication, operation and applications of these actuators are described The authors may be reached: T.W. Kenny Phone : (415) 725-3805, Fax: (415) 723-3521, kenny@sunrise.stanford.edu W.J. Kaiser Phone : (818) 354-8238, Fax : (818) 393-4540 kaiser@ seas. ucla.edu 1 Displacement transducers are frequently used in sensors for the detection of

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