  Nanoscale resonators that oscillate at high frequencies are useful in many
measurement applications. We studied a high-quality mechanical resonator made
from a suspended carbon nanotube driven into motion by applying a periodic
radio frequency potential using a nearby antenna. Single-electron charge
fluctuations created periodic modulations of the mechanical resonance
frequency. A quality factor exceeding 10^5 allows the detection of a shift in
resonance frequency caused by the addition of a single-electron charge on the
nanotube. Additional evidence for the strong coupling of mechanical motion and
electron tunneling is provided by an energy transfer to the electrons causing
mechanical damping and unusual nonlinear behavior. We also discovered that a
direct current through the nanotube spontaneously drives the mechanical
resonator, exerting a force that is coherent with the high-frequency resonant
mechanical motion.
