Optical sensing of force and acceleration based on a graphene MEMS Fabry-Perot structure

A theoretical study was conducted on a graphene ribbon suspended mass micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) optical force (acceleration) sensor based on a Fabry-Perot (FP) microcavity. The study found that when the suspended mass is subjected to an external force or acceleration, its position shifts, altering the cavity length of the FP microcavity and thereby enabling optical sensing. The sensor can operate in both spectral and intensity modes. Benefiting from the ultrathin and highly stretchable properties of graphene, the sensor exhibits high sensitivity and a wide detection range. In spectral mode, the maximum sensitivity to force reaches -6nm/pN, and the sensitivity to acceleration can reach -1.4nm/g. In intensity mode, the force sensitivity can be as high as 0.74pN^-1. The designed sensor is ultra-compact, suitable for on-chip integration, and can be fabricated using large-scale manufacturing techniques. It holds significant potential for applications in wearable electronics, smart devices, robotics, and other fields.