Piconewton force measurement using a nanometric photonic crystal diaphragm

A compact force fiber sensor capable of measuring forces at the piconewton level is reported. It consists of a miniature Fabry-Perot cavity fabricated at the tip a single-mode fiber, in which the external reflector is a compliant photonic-crystal diaphragm that deflects when subjected to a force. In the laboratory environment, this sensor was able to detect a force of only ∼4  pN generated by the radiation pressure of a laser beam. Its measured minimum detectable force (MDF) at 3 kHz was as weak as 1.3  pN/√Hz. In a quiet environment, the measured noise was ∼16 times lower, and the MDF predicted to be ∼76  fN/√Hz.