Optical-thermally actuated graphene mechanical resonator for humidity sensing

Abstract

This paper demonstrates an optical-thermally actuated multi-layer graphene resonator for humidity sensing. A ∼10-layered graphene resonator with a diameter of 125 µm peripherally clamped on the fiber ferrule end face was actuated to vibrate using the intensity-modulated laser, and the vibration was detected based on the optical fiber Fabry-Perot interference method. The humidity sensing experiment exhibited an up to 350 Hz/%RH humidity sensitivity in the range of 0–100 % RH at 25 °C, which was 10 times higher than those of the previously reported Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM)-based humidity sensors. Also, a good repeatability of the frequency-humidity response was observed for the presented graphene resonator. Moreover, in view of the coupling effect of temperature on the graphene resonator, the temperature drift of 0.942 kHz/°C was measured in the range of 25–50 °C, thereby inducing an absolute humidity error of about 0.6 g/(m3·°C).