A Polymer Asymmetric Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Sensor Model Based on Electrode Thermal Writing Waveguide Technology

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Waveguide Technology
• Optical Sensing
• Nanofabrication

Background:

• Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) interferometers are sensitive to refractive index changes.
• Existing temperature sensors face challenges like sensing fade and limited accuracy.
• Precise control over waveguide properties is crucial for advanced optical sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel electrode thermal writing waveguide for temperature sensing.
• To optimize waveguide parameters and analyze sensing performance.
• To address and resolve the sensing fade issue in M-Z temperature sensors.

Main Methods:

• Simulations of mode conditions and electrode thermal writing parameters.
• Theoretical analysis of nanoimprint M-Z temperature sensor adjustments.
• Design and simulation of a refractive index asymmetry M-Z waveguide sensor.

Main Results:

• Optimized waveguide dimensions: 2 μm width, 2.8 μm height, 1.2 μm slab thickness.
• Sensing accuracy achieved: 2.0896 × 10^4 to 5.1252 × 10^4 in the 1.51-1.54 refractive index range.
• Sensing fade resolved by adjusting core refractive index by 0.001 using electrode thermal writing.

Conclusions:

• Electrode thermal writing offers a viable method to tune waveguide refractive index and enhance sensor accuracy.
• The developed M-Z waveguide sensor demonstrates improved performance and potential for various applications.
• The sensor shows promise for organism temperature detection, molecular analysis, and biotechnology.