Dual-chirality helical nanobelts: A novel linear-to-rotary motion converter

A novel linear-to-rotary motion converter is demonstrated with three-dimensional (3D) SiGe/Si dual- chirality helical nanobelts (DCHNBs). Analytical and experimental investigation shows that the motion conversion has excellent linearity for small deflections. The conversion ratio of displacement and load for a DCHNB is found to be 171.3 deg/mum and 2.110times10^-6 Nldrm/N, respectively. The stiffness (0.033 N/m) is much smaller than that of bottom-up synthesized helical nanostructures, which is promising for high resolution force measurement. The ultra-compact size makes it possible for DCHNBs to serve as rotary stages for micro goniometers or rotary scanners for creating 3D scanning probe microscopes.