Static buckling and actuation of free-standing mesoscale beams

We discuss the static buckling and actuation of free-standing mesoscopic beams. As the length-to-width aspect ratio of the beams is increased, the buckled shapes become more complex. Mechanical actuation confirms that the complex shapes are stable equilibria and that metastable equilibria also exist. This is consistent with a nonlinear elastic continuum model, which incorporates asymmetry in higher order buckling modes. Preliminary results indicate that, in addition to purely mechanical actuation, electromechanical mode-mode transitions can be induced by utilizing fabricated electrodes.