Optical microresonator sensor systems

Abstract

Over the past few years a number of advances have been made towards the development of a new type of optical sensor based on the activation and detection by optical means of resonant vibrations in simple mechanical devices. This paper describes three strands of technology-resonator sensing, optical fibre systems and silicon micromachiningthe judicious interweaving of which underlies the most promising of these advances; it then presents a review of the published work to date and ends with a personal view of possible future developments.