Ultra-high sensitivity optical stress sensor based on double-layered photonic crystal microcavity

Abstract

In this report, we present the design principles to achieve a highly sensitive optical stress sensor. The structure we use is a double-layered (DL) photonic molecule with optical bonding and anti-bonding states based on whispering-gallery mode in photonic crystal microcavity. By applying finite-difference time-domain and finite-element methods, we simulate the change of optical properties (including wavelength and quality (Q) factor) of bonding mode caused by the DL structural variation due to the applied stress in two DL geometries. In the end, we summarize an optical stress sensor design with high Q factor, large structural response due to the applied stress, and large optical spectrum change due to the DL structural variation. The minimum detectable stress variation is estimated to be as small as 0.95 nN. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America