Untethered photonic sensor for wall pressure measurement

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Sensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional pressure sensors often require cumbersome cabling, limiting their application in certain environments.
• Developing untethered sensing solutions is crucial for expanding measurement capabilities.
• Micro-scale lasers offer potential as novel sensing elements due to their unique optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel untethered photonic wall pressure sensor.
• To investigate the sensor's performance using a dome-shaped micro-laser as the sensing element.
• To evaluate two different sensor configurations for absolute and differential pressure measurements.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a micro-laser sensing element using a mixture of Trimethylolpropane Tri(3-mercaptopropionate) (THIOCURE) and Polyethylene (glycol) Diacrylate (PEGDA) with rhodamine 6G.
• Investigating two distinct volume ratios of THIOCURE to PEGDA to tune mechanical properties.
• Implementing two sensor configurations: one coupled to a membrane for differential measurements and one without a membrane for absolute measurements.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of a functional untethered photonic wall pressure sensor.
• Characterization of sensor sensitivity for both absolute and differential measurement configurations.
• Analysis of how different polymer ratios affect the sensor's mechanical properties and performance.

Conclusions:

• The novel untethered photonic wall pressure sensor shows promise for applications where cabling is problematic.
• The sensor design allows for flexible measurement modes, including both absolute and differential pressure.
• Further research into polymer composition and sensor design can optimize performance for specific applications.