Engineering-reflected phase in Fabry-Perot sensors with resonant mirrors

Fabry-Perot cavities made with photonic crystal (PC) mirrors and other resonant structures exhibit nontraditional characteristics due to the strong wavelength dependence of their reflected phase. This Letter describes how engineering the phase of PC mirrors enables sensors that are tolerant to variations in laser center frequency and line width. Reflection spectra measurements of Fabry-Perot cavities made with PC mirrors were collected as a function of wavelength and cavity length, providing experimental verification of theory and simulations.