Damping of micromechanical structures by paramagnetic relaxation

We find that the damping of micromechanical cantilevers is sensitive to the relaxation dynamics of paramagnetic ions contained within the levers. We measure cantilevers containing paramagnetic Mn ions as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and the vibrational mode of the lever and find that the levers’ damping is strongly enhanced by the interplay between the motion of the lever, the ions’ magnetic anisotropy, and the ratio of the ions’ longitudinal relaxation rate to the resonance frequency of the cantilever. This enhancement can improve the levers’ ability to probe the relaxation behavior of paramagnetic or superparamagnetic systems; it may also represent a previously unrecognized source of “intrinsic” dissipation in micromechanical structures.