Quantifying Measurement Fluctuations from Stochastic Surface Processes on Sensors with Heterogeneous Sensitivity

Progress in nanotechnology has led to sensors that can detect very small numbers of analyte particles---down to the level of individual molecules. However, the observed signal often depends on not just how many particles are adsorbed, but also exactly w00exh00exe00exr00exe each has landed on a nanomechanical resonator. This study presents a general theoretical framework for quantitative interpretation of such results, to aid the design of robust sensor platforms for ultrahigh-resolution measurements of chemical concentration, particularly in biosensing applications.