Bias voltage-tunable existence boundaries of phononic frequency combs in nonlinear mechanical resonators based on 2D materials —An analytical study

¹ Department of Physics, University of Colorado - Boulder, CO 80309, USA
² Department of Physics, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, University of Delhi - New Delhi 110007, India
³ Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani-Dubai Campus, Dubai International Academic City - Dubai 345055, UAE
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani-Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar - Pilani 333031, India

Received: 9 January 2026
Accepted: 22 April 2026

Abstract

Phononic frequency combs enable the extension of frequency-comb concepts to the domain of mechanical vibrations through nonlinear modal interactions. Here, we explore the possibility of active control of the existence boundaries of phononic frequency combs via DC bias voltage. The bias-induced modification of modal frequencies and nonlinear coupling of an electrostatically actuated MoS₂ resonator modulate the energy exchange pathways that enable comb formation, thus allowing for programmable regulation of the existence boundaries. This study thus provides a theoretical framework for the design and optimization of electrically tunable phononic frequency combs in signal processing and sensing devices within the MEMS/NEMS domain.