Abstract
In recent years, measurement methods that use resonators as microcantilevers have attracted attention because of their high sensitivity, high accuracy, and rapid response time. They have been widely utilized in mass sensing, stiffness sensing, and atomic force microscopy (AFM), among other applications. In all these methods, it is essential to accurately detect shifts in the natural frequency of the resonator caused by an external force from a measured object or sample. Experimental approaches based on self-excited oscillation enable the detection of these shifts even when the resonator is immersed in a high-viscosity environment. In the present study, we experimentally and theoretically investigate the nonlinear characteristics of a microcantilever resonator and their control by nonlinear feedback. We show that the steady-state response amplitude and the corresponding response frequency can be controlled by cubic nonlinear velocity feedback and cubic nonlinear displacement feedback, respectively. Furthermore, the amplitude and frequency of the steady-state self-excited oscillation can be controlled separately. These results will expand application of measurement methods that use self-excited resonators.