A Proposal to Enhance High-Frequency Optical MEMS Accelerometer Sensitivity Based on a One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Wavelength Modulation System

• Published in: IEEE sensors journal 2020-12, Vol.20 (24), p.14639-14645
• Main Authors: Nie, Yunlong, Huang, Kun, Yang, Jiapeng, Cao, Liqin, Cheng, Lin, Wang, Qi, Tian, Haibo, Peihua, Wangyang, Heng, Liang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Finite element method; Microelectromechanical systems; Optical MEMS accelerometer; Optical sensors; Photonic band gap; Photonic band gaps; Photonic crystals; Sensitivity; Wavelength modulation
• ISSN: 1530-437X; 1558-1748
• DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2020.3006220

In this article, a novel optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer sensor based on a one-dimensional photonic crystals wavelength modulation system is proposed with a focus on optimizing the sensitivity of the high-frequency device. The proposed accelerometer consists of a sensitive optical system and a high-frequency mechanical structure, which have been studied by rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) and finite element analysis (FEA). A very large bandwidth, excellent sensitivity to optical sensing and considerable resolution of the high-frequency device of the proposed sensor provide several attractive performance aspects. Through a rigorous theoretical argument, the following results are demonstrated: a photonic band gap (PBG) from 1.1 to 2.8 \mu m, a bandwidth from 0 to 20 kHz, an optical system sensitivity of to 3.38, and an accelerometer sensitivity of 2.06 nm/g, with a measurement range of ± 217 g and a resolution of 4.850 mg. In view of these optimized performances, the proposed MEMS accelerometer can be used for all kinds of high frequency applications.