Enhanced wide-range gas pressure sensing with an all-solid open Fabry-Pérot interferometer

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Sensor Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Industrial applications require sensors capable of detecting gas pressure over a wide range.
• Existing sensors may lack the necessary structural integrity for harsh environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and characterize a novel all-solid open Fabry-Pérot interferometer gas pressure sensor.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance in terms of sensitivity, resolution, and temperature cross-sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an all-solid open Fabry-Pérot interferometer using optical contact bonding.
• Measurement of the resonant spectrum shift in response to applied gas pressure.
• Calibration of pressure sensitivity and resolution.
• Assessment of temperature cross-sensitivity.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated a high quality factor of 8.8 × 10⁵.
• Achieved a pressure sensitivity of 4.20 ± 0.01 nm/MPa over a 0 to 10 MPa range.
• Exhibited a minimum pressure resolution of 0.005 MPa.
• Reported a low temperature cross-sensitivity of -0.25 kPa/°C.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensor offers high-sensitivity gas pressure detection across a wide pressure range.
• Its exceptional mechanical strength makes it suitable for demanding industrial applications, including high-temperature and high-pressure environments.