Theoretical Analysis of an Optical Accelerometer Based on Resonant Optical Tunneling Effect

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Acceleration monitoring is crucial for object status assessment.
• Existing accelerometers have limitations in range and resolution.
• Optical sensing offers potential for high-precision measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel linear acceleration sensor based on the resonant optical tunneling effect (ROTE).
• To analyze and simulate the performance of the proposed ROTE accelerometer.
• To provide guidelines for enhancing integrated optical acceleration sensors.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel accelerometer design featuring elastic cantilevers and a resonant cavity with tunneling gaps.
• Mathematical modeling for performance analysis.
• Finite element modeling (FEM) for simulation and validation.

Main Results:

• The ROTE accelerometer achieved an optical Q factor up to 8.857 × 10⁷.
• Sensitivity reached 9 pm/g with a linear measurement range of ±130 g.
• The sensor demonstrated a working bandwidth of 10-1500 Hz.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ROTE accelerometer shows significant potential for high-performance acceleration sensing.
• The study provides valuable insights for improving the measurement range and resolution of optical acceleration sensors.
• This novel sensor design opens new avenues for advanced integrated optical sensing applications.