Non-contact friction in ultracoherent nanomechanical resonators near dielectric materials

Article excerpt

Nature Physics, Published online: 07 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41567-026-03350-z Understanding loss mechanisms in nanomechanical resonators has enabled ultracoherent devices with improved sensitivity. Now these resonators are found to be sensitive to non-contact friction from nearby materials, thus limiting mechanical coherence.