Novel graphene-based optical MEMS accelerometer dependent on intensity modulation

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel graphene‐based optical microelectromechanical systems MEMS accelerometer that is dependent on the intensity modulation and optical properties of graphene. The designed sensing system includes a multilayer graphene finger, a laser diode (LD) light source, a photodiode, and integrated optical waveguides. The proposed accelerometer provides several advantages, such as negligible cross‐axis sensitivity, appropriate linearity behavior in the operation range, a relatively broad measurement range, and a significantly wider bandwidth when compared with other important contributions in the literature. Furthermore, the functional characteristics of the proposed device are designed analytically, and are then confirmed using numerical methods. Based on the simulation results, the functional characteristics are as follows: a mechanical sensitivity of 1,019 nm/g, an optical sensitivity of 145.7 %/g, a resonance frequency of 15,553 Hz, a bandwidth of 7 kHz, and a measurement range of ±10 g. Owing to the obtained functional characteristics, the proposed device is suitable for several applications in which high sensitivity and wide bandwidth are required simultaneously.

Adaptive opto-electromechanical silicon-on-insulator increased bandwidth accelerometer

“…The pro parameters of the proposed sensor exceed all those reported in Table 1 from previous studies. For example, the optical sensitivity for nine cascaded sections increased by applying equal electrode voltages to measure small accelerations is more than ten times that reported by Ahmadian et al [21] and it is tunable. The proposed sensor also responds to sinusoidal actuation forces from 0 Hz to the frequency of resonance of the suspension slot waveguides affected by their length and the applied electrode voltages.…”

“…Accelerometers based on directly modulating the intensity of an optical carrier [18][19][20] advantage simple structure, low fabrication cost, simple detection electronics, and the need for a simple optical source but they result in low detection quality for being affected by the fluctuation in the optical source intensity. Ahmadian et al [21] proposed a graphene-based optical MEMS accelerometer that depends on the intensity modulation of the light. The accelerometer of Ahmadian et al utilizes the light absorption properties of a multi-layer graphene finger placed within a gap between two optical waveguides to modulate the intensity of the light.…”

“…Fig 21. The fundamental frequency of resonance of the suspension system f n versus the common voltage V c based on FBCs.…”

Recent progress of graphene orientation determination technology based on scanning probe microscopy

“…The research on new materials and new technologies has become a hot topic in the world. Graphene has attracted considerable attention in different fields in recent years [6][7][8][9]. It enables the frequency of the processor more than 1 THz, which is 100-000 times higher than the current silicon-based processor [10,11].…”

Optical MEMS accelerometer sensor relying on a micro‐ring resonator and an elliptical disk

“…However, optical MEMS accelerometers use various methods to sense an acceleration which is applied to the system. Their sensing principles rely on light‐wave manipulation such as intensity [23, 24] and wavelength [21, 25] modulations. Each approach may provide not only many advantages but also several drawbacks.…”