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Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) are nano-to-micrometer scale mechanical resonators coupled to electronic devices of similar dimensions. NEMS show promise for fast, ultrasensitive force microscopy and for deepening our understanding of how classical dynamics arises by approximation to quantum dynamics. This article begins with a survey of NEMS and then describes certain aspects of their classical dynamics. In particular, we show that for weak coupling the action of the electronic device on the mechanical resonator can be effectively that of a thermal bath, this despite the device being a driven, far-from-equilibrium system.