High-Sensitivity All-Optical Pressure Sensor Based on Photonic-Crystal Nanotechnology

In this study, we investigate a new design of a high-sensitivity photonic-crystal pressure sensor (PCPS). The basic structure consists of a triangular array of silicon rods suspended in air. The designed sensor comprises two quasilinear waveguides that are coupled through a resonant cavity. The detection principle is based on the change in the refractive index of the Si material as a function of the pressure variation within the range of 0 to 3 GPa, resulting in a significant shift in the wavelength of the proposed sensor. The sensor offers high sensitivity of approximately 18.2 nm/ GPa, along with very fast response, high-quality factor, and ultra-compact size. The proposed design is reliable and simple to be integrated into various detection applications.