Ultimate quantum bounds on mass measurements with a nano-mechanical resonator

I establish the fundamental lower bound on the mass that can be measured with a nano-mechanical resonator in a given quantum state based on the fundamental quantum Cramer-Rao bound, and identify the quantum states which will allow the largest sensitivity for a given maximum energy. I show that with existing carbon nanotube resonators it should be possible in principle to measure a thousandth of the mass of an electron, and future improvements might allow to reach a regime where one can measure the relativistic change of mass due to absorption of a single photon, or the creation of a chemical bond. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2011