Pressure sensor based on two-dimensional photonic crystal ring resonator

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel pressure sensor utilizing a two-dimensional photonic crystal (2DPC) based on a ring resonator design. The sensor consists of a square ring resonator that is connected to two photonic crystal waveguides. The photonic crystal is comprised of a square lattice of circular Silicon dielectric rods with air serving as a background. The proposed sensor operates within a pressure range of 0 to 6 GPa, corresponding to a wavelength range of 1554 nm to 1569 nm. The band structures and transmission characteristics of the proposed sensor are studied using the plane wave expansion (PWE) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods. The normalized transmission spectra of the sensor are observed by varying parameters such as the refractive index, radius, lattice constant, and pressure value, resulting in corresponding wavelength shifts. The proposed sensor design offers a compact size, a wide dynamic range of 6 GPa pressure, and a high sensitivity of 3 nm/GPa. These properties make it highly suitable for a range of applications such as high-pressure or stress-sensing, medical applications, and long pipeline strain monitoring.