Electro-optic sensor from high Q resonance between optical D-fiber and slab waveguide

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Electro-Optics
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Electric field detection is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.
• Existing sensors often face limitations in sensitivity, linearity, or operational range.
• Optical sensors offer potential advantages due to their immunity to electromagnetic interference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel electro-optic sensor for electric field detection.
• To leverage D-shaped optical fiber and lithium niobate waveguides for enhanced performance.
• To evaluate the sensor's sensitivity, linearity, and Q factor.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a slab-coupled optical sensor using D-shaped optical fiber.
• Integration of a lithium niobate waveguide for evanescent interaction.
• Characterization of transmission dips from mode resonances, measuring linewidth and Q factor.

Main Results:

• Achieved transmission dips with a narrow linewidth of 0.12 nm and a Q factor of ~13,000.
• Demonstrated sensor linearity with a deviation of less than 0.1% for fields from 200 V/m to 20 kV/m.
• Indicated potential for high sensitivity to electric fields beyond the tested range.

Conclusions:

• The D-fiber based electro-optic sensor exhibits high sensitivity and linearity.
• The unique fabrication process enabled sharp resonances, crucial for device performance.
• This sensor technology shows promise for advanced electric field monitoring applications.