Dynamics of periodic solution to a electrostatic micro-electro-mechanical system (Q2094446)

The authors study the equation \[ my''+cy'+ky=K[V(t)]^2/(d-y)^2 \] where \(m,c,k,K\) and \(d\) are positive constants and \(V(t)=v_{dc}+v_{ac}\cos{(\omega t)}\). This is a model for a periodically-driven Micro-Electro-Mechanical system (MEMS) where \(y\) is the distance between two parallel capacitor plates, one being fixed and the other attached by a linear spring to a fixed structure. \(y=d\) when the spring is in its relaxed position. The authors first prove that for parameters in a certain range the system has at least one periodic solution. They then use numerical continuation to follow periodic solutions, finding that they undergo saddle-node and period-doubling bifurcations. There is bistability in some parameter regions.