Mechanical sensitivity enhancement of silicon based photonic crystal micro-pressure sensor

Abstract

We describe here a sensor consisting of a line defect photonic crystal waveguide suspended over a silicon substrate. Under applied pressure, the photonic crystal waveguide is deflected toward the substrate, causing a decrease in optical transmission due to the coupling of the waveguide field to the silicon substrate. Bridge engineering can increase the mechanical sensitivity of the bridge: maintaining constant bridge footage, we are able to increase sensitivity by about 5.5 times.