Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Fabrication of 1-D Photonic Crystal Cavity on a Nanofiber Using Femtosecond Laser-induced Ablation
Published on: February 25, 2017
Optofluidic vapor sensing with free-space coupled 2D photonic crystal slabs
Yonghao Liu1, Shuling Wang1, Priyanka Biswas1
1Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019, USA.
Abstract:
We report here a compact vapor sensor based on polymer coated two-dimensional (2D) defect-free photonic crystal slabs (PCS). The sensing mechanism is based on the resonance spectral shift associated with the Fano resonance mode in the PCS due to the vapor molecule adsorption and desorption induced changes in both polymer thickness and polymer refractive index (RI). Sensitivity due to RI and thickness change were theoretically investigated respectively. With three different thicknesses of OV-101 polymer coating, sensitivity and response time were experimentally evaluated for hexane and ethanol vapors. The polymer demonstrated roughly four times higher sensitivity towards the hexane vapor than ethanol vapor. The PCS sensor with thicker polymer coating showed higher sensitivity to both hexane and ethanol vapors but exhibiting longer response time.
Related Concept Videos
Vaporization
Vapor Pressure
Vapor Pressure Lowering
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

