Theoretical Analysis of Silicon-Based Integrated-Optic Mach-Zehnder Pressure Sensors

• Published in: Fiber and integrated optics 2001-07, Vol.20 (4), p.385-401
• Main Authors: BORGES, B.-H. V, MANFRIN, S. K, ROMERO, M. A, CESAR, A. C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; General equipment and techniques; Instruments for strain, force and torque; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical Sensors Optical Waveguides Silicon Integrated Optics Mach-ZEHNDER Interferometer; Physics; Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing; Waveguides, couplers, and arrays
• ISSN: 0146-8030; 1096-4681
• DOI: 10.1080/014680301316924101

Silicon-based Mach-Zehnder integrated-optic pressure sensors are investigated in this article. Several structures proposed in the literature are examined and performance parameters such as power leakage towards the Si substrate, radiation loss as a function of the Y-junction aperture angle, and halfwave pressure are analyzed. Modeling of the material deformation characteristics and refractive index change as a function of the applied pressure is carried out by using the finite-difference technique. The sensor optical characteristics and waveguiding properties are computed by using the finite-difference beam-propagation method (FD-BPM) and the extended effective index method (EEIM). Guidelines for performance optimization are proposed.