We demonstrate single electron shuttling through two coupled nanomechanical pendula. The pendula are realized as nanopillars etched out of the semiconductor substrate. Coulomb blockade is found at room temperature, allowing metrological applications.
By controlling the mechanical shuttling frequency we are able to validate the different regimes of electron shuttling.
We present spontaneous symmetry breaking in a nanoscale version of a setup prolific in classical mechanics: two coupled nanomechanical pendulums. The two pendulums are electron shuttles fabricated as nanopillars and placed between two capacitor plate
s in a homogeneous electric field. Instead of being mechanically coupled through a spring they exchange electrons, i.e. they shuttle electrons from the source to the drain capacitor plate. Nonzero DC current through this system by external AC excitation is caused via dynamical symmetry breaking. This symmetry-broken current appears at sub- and superharmonics of the fundamental mode of the coupled system.
