On the Temperature Profile of the Thermally Excited Resonant Silicon Micro Structural Pressure Sensor

According to the sensing structure of a practical silicon resonant pressure micro sensor whose preliminary sensing unit is a square silicon diaphragm and the final sensing unit is a silicon beam resonator, its operating mechanism is analyzed. The thermal resistor acts as the excited unit, and the piezoresistive unit acts as the detector, for the above micro sensor. By using the amplitude and phase conditions, the self exciting closed loop system is investigated based on the operating mechanism for the abov...

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer as a resonant temperature sensor

Resonant temperature sensors have drawn considerable attention for their advantages such as high sensitivity,digitized signal output and high precision.This paper presents a new type of resonant temperature sensor,which uses capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer(CMUT)as the sensing element.A lumped electro-mechanical-thermal model was established to show its working principle for temperature measurement.The theoretical model explicitly explains the thermally induced changes in the resonant frequency of the CMUT.Then,the finite element method was used to further investigate the sensing performance.The numerical results agree well with the established analytical model qualitatively.The numerical results show that the resonant frequency varies linearly with the temperature over the range of 20℃to 140℃ at the first four vibrating modes.However,the first order vibrating mode shows a higher sensitivity than the other three higher modes.When working at the first order vibrating mode,the temperature coefficient of the resonance frequency(TCf)can reach as high as-1114.3 ppm/℃ at a bias voltage equal to 90%of the collapse voltage of the MCUT.The corresponding nonlinear error was as low as 1.18%.It is discovered that the sensing sensitivity is dependent on the applied bias voltages.A higher sensitivity can be achieved by increasing the bias voltages.

Analysis of Circular Resonator for Resonant Pressure Sensor

The analytical and finite element analyses of circular resonator for Resonant Pressure Sensor are presented. The new idea of this paper is the Silicon circular diaphragm used as the sensing resonator for micro pressure sensor. The thickness, radius and natural frequencies for the Si circular diaphragm are investigated. A system model is being developed to predict dynamic responses of the pressure sensor diaphragm and preliminary results are presented. The pressure range is 0-0.1Mpa. The resonant frequencies output of the homogenous circular diaphragm also realized by ANSYS software. The natural frequency of the resonator is about 63.418 kHz.

Measurement of water holdup in oil-in-water emulsions in wellbores using microwave resonance sensor

In this study,we propose a new method for water holdup measurement of oil-in-water emulsions with a microwave resonance sensor(MRS).The angle and length of the electrode plate are optimized by HFSS simulation software.Using a vector network analyzer(VNA),a static calibration experiment is conducted,and the resonant frequency distribution of oil-in-water emulsions is analyzed within an 80%–100%water holdup range.In addition,we observe and analyze the micron-sized oil bubble structure in the emulsifi ed state with an optical microscope.On this basis,a dynamic experiment of oil-in-water emulsions with high water cut and low velocity in a vertical upward pipe is conducted.S_(21) response curves of the MRS are obtained by the VNA under diff erent working conditions in real time.Finally,we analyze the relationship between the resonant frequency and water cut.Experimental results show that the MRS has an average resolution of 0.096%water cut for high water cut oil-in-water emulsions within the frequency range of 2.2–2.8 GHz.

Dual-channel fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance sensor with cascaded coaxial dual-waveguide D-type structure and microsphere structure

To address the restriction of fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance(SPR) sensors in the field of multi-sample detection, a novel dual-channel fiber-optic SPR sensor based on the cascade of coaxial dual-waveguide D-type structure and microsphere structure is proposed in this paper. The fiber sidepolishing technique converts the coaxial dual-waveguide fiber into a D-type one, and the evanescent wave in the ring core leaks, generating a D-type sensing region;the fiber optic fused ball push technology converts the coaxial dual waveguides into microspheres, and the stimulated cladding mode evanescent wave leaks, producing the microsphere sensing region. By injecting light into the coaxial dual-waveguide middle core alone, the sensor can realize single-stage sensing in the microsphere sensing area;it can also realize dual-channel sensing in the D-type sensing area and microsphere sensing area by injecting light into the ring core. The refractive index measurement ranges for the two channels are 1.333–1.365 and 1.375–1.405, respectively, with detection sensitivities of 981.56 nm/RIU and 4138 nm/RIU. The sensor combines wavelength division multiplexing and space division multiplexing technologies, presenting a novel research concept for multi-channel fiber SPR sensors.

Refractive Plasmonic Sensor Based on Fano Resonances in an Optical System

A symmetric plasmonie structure consisting of metal-insulator metal waveguide, groove studied, which supports double Fano resonances deriving from two different mechanisms and slot cavities is One of the Fano resonances originates from the interference between the resonances of groove and slot cavities, and the other comes from the interference between slot cavities. The spectral line shapes and the peaks of the double Fano resonances can be modulated by changing the length of the slot cavities and the height of the groove. Furthermore, the wavelength of the resonance peak has a linear relationship with the length of the slot cavities. The proposed plasmonic nanosensor possesses a sensitivity of 800nm/RIU and a figure of merit of 3150, which may have important applications in switches, sensors, and nonlinear devices.

Sensitivity improvement of aluminum-based far-ultraviolet nearly guided-wave surface plasmon resonance sensor

An aluminum(Al)based nearly guided-wave surface plasmon resonance(NGWSPR)sensor is investigated in the far-ultraviolet(FUV)region.By simultaneously optimizing the thickness of Al and dielectric films,the sensitivity of the optimized Al-based FUV-NGWSPR sensor increases from 183/RIU to 309/RIU,and its figure of merit rises from 26.47 RIU^(-1)to 32.59 RIU^(-1)when the refractive index of dielectric increases from 2 to 5.Compared with a traditional FUV-SPR sensor without dielectric,the optimized FUV-NGWSPR sensor can realize simultaneous improvement of sensitivity and figure of merit.In addition,the FUV-NGWSPR sensor with realistic materials(diamond,Ta_(2)O_(5),and GaN)is also investigated,and 137.84%,52.70%,and 41.89%sensitivity improvements are achieved respectively.This work proposes a method for performance improvement of FUV-SPR sensors by exciting nearly guided-wave,and could be helpful for the high-performance SPR sensor in the short-wavelength region.

Performance analysis of surface plasmon resonance sensor with high-order absentee layer

A surface plasmon resonance （SPR） sensor with a high-order absentee layer on the top of metallic film is proposed. The performance of the SPR sensor with NaCl, MgO, TiO2 or AlAs high-order absentee layer is analyzed theoretically. The results indicate that the sensitivity and the full width at half maximum of those SPR sensors decrease with the increasing of the order of absentee layer, but the variation of the figure of merit （FOM） depends on the refractive index of absentee layer. By improving the order of absentee layer with high-refractive-index, the FOM of the SPR sensor can be enhanced. The maximum value of FOM for the SPR sensor with high-order TiO2 （or AlAs） absentee layer is 1.059% （or 2.587%） higher than the one with one-order absentee layer. It is believed the proposed SPR sensor with high-order absentee layer will be helpful for developing the high-performance SPR sensors.

Detection of Stiff Nodules Embedded in Soft Tissue Phantoms,Mimicking Cancer Tumours,Using a Tactile Resonance Sensor

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among males in Europe and in the USA and the most common curative treatment is removal of the prostate, i.e. prostatectomy. After the removal, the prostate is histopathologically analysed. One area of interest is to examine the perifery of the prostate, as tumours on and near the surface can indicate that the PCa has spread to other parts of the body. There are no current methods to examine the surface of the prostate at the time of surgery. Tactile resonance sensors can be used for detecting areas of different stiffness in soft tissue. Human prostate tissue affected by cancer is usually stiffer than healthy tissue, and for this purpose, a tactile resonance sensor was developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the depth at which embedded stiffer volumes could be detected, using soft tissue phantoms. Methods: With the tactile resonance sensor used in this study, the shift of the resonance frequency and the force at contact with tissue can be measured, and combined into a tissue stiffness parameter. The detection sensitivity of the sensor at impression depths, 0.4 and 0.8 mm, was measured for detection of inserted nodules of stiff silicone in softer silicone and in chicken muscle tissue, mimicking prostate tissue with cancer tumours. Results: Measurements on the silicone samples detected the hidden stiffer object at a depth of 1 - 4 mm with a difference in the stiffness parameter of 80 - 900 mN/kHz (p < 0.028, n = 48). At the depth 5 - 6 mm the difference was smaller but still significant < 30 mN/kHz (p < 0.05, n = 24). For the measurements on chicken muscle, the detectable depth was 4 mm (p < 0.05, n = 24). Conclusion: This model study suggests that, with only a small impression depth of ≤1 mm, the resonance sensor system described here can detect stiffness variations located at least 4 mm in silicone and chicken muscle, mimicking tumours in prostate tissue.

A Photonic Crystal Fiber Based Asymmetric Slotted Structured Highly Sensitive Refractive Index Plasmonic Biosensor

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors have grown in popularity owing to their sensitivity, precision, and capacity for a variety of applications, including detection, monitoring, and sensing, among others. Sensitivity and resolution are two areas where this technology has room for development. A plasmonic biosensor based on an asymmetric slotted PCF structure with extremely high sensitivity has been described and theoretically investigated. This high performance sensor is constructed and completely characterized using finite element method in COMSOL Multiphysics software environment. Sensitivity and resolution are analyzed as performance parameters for the proposed sensor. Numerical simulation exhibits the maximum wavelength-sensitivity of 1100 nm/RIU with 9.09 × 10-6 RIU resolution in the broad measurement range of refractive index from 1.30 to 1.44. A polarization controller can be used to fine-tune this extremely sensitive and wide-ranging refractive index sensor to fulfil a variety of practical needs. This is performed with the consideration of the variation in the refractive index (RI) of the analyte channels. In comparison with earlier PCF-based sensors, the fiber design structure is basic, symmetrical, simple to produce, and cost-effective. Because of the asymmetric air holes and higher sensitivities of the refractive index detector, it is possible to identify biomolecules, biochemicals and other analytes.

Optimized guided mode resonant structure as thermooptic sensor and liquid crystal tunable filter

Applicability of guided mode resonant structures to tunable optical filtering and sensing is demonstrated using nematic liquid crystals. As a sensor, a minimum refractive index detectivity of 10^-5 is demonstrated while as a tunable filter, tunability range of few tens of nanometers with 2-nm bandwidth is presented. The optimum design is achieved by maximizing the evanescent field region in the analyte which maximizes the overlap integral. The device can be operated in reflection or transmission modes at normal incidence. It can also be operated at a single wavelength by measuring the angular profile of the light beam.

Graphene-aluminum nitride NEMS resonant infrared detector

The use of micro-/nanoelectromechanical resonators for the room temperature detection of electromagnetic radiation at infrared frequencies has recently been investigated,showing thermal detection capabilities that could potentially outperform conventional microbolometers.The scaling of the device thickness in the nanometer range and the achievement of high infrared absorption in such a subwavelength thickness,without sacrificing the electromechanical performance,are the two key challenges for the implementation of fast,high-resolution micro-/nanoelectromechanical resonant infrared detectors.In this paper,we show that by using a virtually massless,high-electrical-conductivity,and transparent graphene electrode,floating at the van der Waals separation of a few angstroms from a piezoelectric aluminum nitride nanoplate,it is possible to implement ultrathin(460 nm)piezoelectric nanomechanical resonant structures with improved electromechanical performance(450% improved frequency×quality factor)and infrared detection capabilities(4100×improved infrared absorptance)compared with metal-electrode counterparts,despite their reduced volumes.The intrinsic infrared absorption capabilities of a submicron thin graphene–aluminum nitride plate backed with a metal electrode are investigated for the first time and exploited for the first experimental demonstration of a piezoelectric nanoelectromechanical resonant thermal detector with enhanced infrared absorptance in a reduced volume.Moreover,the combination of electromagnetic and piezoelectric resonances provided by the same graphene–aluminum nitride-metal stack allows the proposed device to selectively detect short-wavelength infrared radiation(by tailoring the thickness of aluminum nitride)with unprecedented electromechanical performance and thermal capabilities.These attributes potentially lead to the development of uncooled infrared detectors suitable for the implementation of high performance,miniaturized and power-efficient multispectral infrared imaging systems.

Design of Linear Sweep Source Based on DDS Used in Readout System for Wireless Passive Pressure Sensor

This paper proposes the design and research on the high bandwidth linear frequency sweep signal source involved in the readout unit module of the wireless passive pressure sensor in high temperature based on the principle of mutual inductance coupling which is applied widely at present. The operating principle of the linear sweep frequency source based on the direct digital frequency synthesis （DDS） technology is introduced, and the implementation method of the hardware circuit and logic sequential control process required in our system has been realized utilizing this technology. Through the experiments under different conditions of the step value, the sweep range and other related design indicators, the influence on the extraction method of resonance frequency information, extraction accuracy, and others during the readout system of the mutual inductance coupling sensor are analyzed and studied. The design of the linear frequency sweep signal source is realized with a resonance frequency change resolution of 6 kHz, a minimum step value of 1 kHz, and a precision of frequency for 0.116 Hz within the sweep width of 1 MHz - 100MHz. Due to the use of the integrated commercial chip, the linear sweep frequency source is made small in size, high working frequency, high resolution and low step values for the readout unit modularized of a higher application value.

A High-Sensitivity and Broad-Range SPR Glucose Sensor Based on Improved Glucose Sensitive Membranes

An improved glucose sensitive membrane(GSM)is prepared by immobilizing glucose oxidase(GOD)onto a mixture of silica mesocellular foams(SiMCFs)and SiO2 nanoparticles(SiNPs)and then trapping it in a polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)gel.The membrane is coated onto a gold-glass sheet to create a surface plasmon resonance(SPR)sensor.A series of experiments are conducted to determine the optimized parameters of the proposed GSM.For a GSM with a component ratio of SiMCFs:SiNPs=7:3(mass rate),the resonance angle of the sensor decreases from 68.57°to 63.36°,and the average sensitivity is 0.026°/(mg/dL)in a glucose concentration range of 0 mg/dL‒200 mg/dL.For a GSM with a component ratio of SiMCFs:SiNPs=5:5(mass rate),the resonance angle of the sensor decreases from 67.93°to 63.50°,and the sensitivity is 0.028°/(mg/dL)in a glucose concentration range of 0 mg/dL‒160 mg/dL.These data suggest that the sensor proposed in this study is more sensitive and has a broader measurement range compared with those reported in the literature to date.

Resolution Enhancement of Optical Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Using Metamaterial

In this paper, we present and discuss a an optical surface plasmon resonance （SPR） path to extend the enhancement of the resolution of sensor. Basically, our approach is to combine bi-metamaterial layers to design the SPR sensor. The calculation shows that the proposed SPR sensor structure has a preference over the conventional SPR sensors and bimetallic SPR sensors since it gives a much sharper reflectance dip and can achieve considerable sensitivity improvement when compared to the recently reported investigations. The effects of the metamaterial permittivity, permeability, and thickness on the reflectance curve are studied. It is also seen that metamaterial layers improve the field of the proposed SPR structure, which may provide a novel tool to significantly enhance the sensitivity and resolution of the sensors.

Solution-phase synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon as resonant-gravimetric sensing material for room-temperature H2S detection

H2S can cause multiple diseases and poses a great threat to human health.However,the precise detection of extremely toxic H2S at room temperature is still a great challenge.Here,a facile solvent evaporation induced aggregating assembly(EIAA)method has been applied for the production of ordered mesoporous carbon(OMCs)in an acidic THF/H2 O solution with high-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene(PEO-b-PS)copolymers as the structure-directing agent,formaldehyde and resorcinol as carbon precursors.Along with the continuous evaporation of THF from the mixed solution,cylindrical micelles are formed in the solution and further assemble into highly ordered mesostructure.The obtained OMCs possesses a two-dimensional(2 D)hexagonal mesostructure with uniform and large pore diameter(~19.2 nm),high surface area(599 m2/g),and large pore volume(0.92 cm3/g).When being used as the resonant cantilever gas sensor for room-temperature H2S detection,the OMCs has delivered not only a superior gas sensing performance with ultrafast re s ponse(14 s)and recovery(21 s)even at low concentration(2 ppm)but also an excellent selectivity toward H2S among various common interfering gases.Moreover,the limit of detection is better than 0.2 ppm,indicating its potential application in environmental monitoring and health protection.

Ultrasensitive terahertz metamaterial sensor based on vertical split ring resonators

An ultrasensitive metamaterial sensor based on double-slot vertical split ring resonators(DVSRRs) is designed and numerically calculated in the terahertz frequency. This DVSRR design produces a fundament LC resonance with a quality factor of about 20 when the incidence magnetic field component normal to the DVSRR array. The resonant characteristics and sensing performance of the DVSRR array design are systematically analyzed employing a contrast method among three similar vertical split ring resonator(SRRs) structures. The research results show that the elimination of bianisotropy, induced by the structural symmetry of the DVSRR design, helps to achieve LC resonance of a high quality factor. Lifting the SRRs up from the substrate sharply reduces the dielectric loss introduced by the substrate. All these factors jointly result in superior sensitivity of the DVSRR to the attributes of analytes. The maximum refractive index sensitivity is 788 GHz/RIU or 1.04 × 10~5 nm∕RIU.Also, the DVSRR sensor maintains its superior sensing performance for fabrication tolerance ranging from -4% to 4% and wide range incidence angles up to 50° under both TE and TM illuminations.

High sensitivity D-shaped hole fiber temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance with liquid filling

A high sensitivity D-shaped hole double-cladding fiber temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance(SPR)is designed and investigated by a full-vector finite element method.Within the D-shaped hole doublecladding fiber,the hollow D-section is coated with gold film and then injected in a high thermo-optic coefficient liquid to realize the high temperature sensitivity for the fiber SPR temperature sensor.The numerical simulation results show that the peaking loss of the D-shaped hole double-cladding fiber SPR is hugely influenced by the distance between the D-shaped hole and fiber core and by the thickness of the gold film,but the temperature sensitivity is almost insensitive to the above parameters.When the thermo-optic coefficient is -2.8×10^(-4)∕℃,the thickness of the gold film is 47 nm,and the distance between the D-shaped hole and fiber core is 5μm,the temperature sensitivity of the D-shaped hole fiber SPR sensor can reach to -3.635 nm∕℃.

Concentration sensor with multilayer thin film-coupled surface plasmon resonance

A concentration sensor based on silver(Ag)/silica(SiO2)/zirconium anhydride(ZrO2)multilayer structure is proposed.Two dominant dips can be observed in the reflection spectrum,which correspond to different sensing methods.Firstly,it is demonstrated that the coupling between the surface plasmon polariton(SPP)mode and a planar waveguide mode(WGM)leads to the Fano resonance(FR).The induced bonding hybridized modes have ultra-narrow full wave at half maximum(FWHM)as well as ultra-high quality factors(Q).We can achieve a theoretical value of the refractive index sensitivity 167 times higher than conventional surface plasmon resonance(SPR)sensors with a single metal layer.Secondly,the waveguide coupling mode was examined by measuring angular spectra.A deep and sharp waveguide coupling dip was obtained.The experimental results show that with an increase in the concentration of the fill dielectric material in the surface of the system,the resonance dip exhibits a remarkable red shift,and the measured angular sensitivity is 98.04°/RIU.

Detection of Leptospirosis Bacteria in Rodent Urine by Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Using Graphene

In this paper, a graphene-coated surface plasmon resonance sensor is designed for the examination of Rodent urine which is responsible for Leptospirosis bacteria. Rodent urine is considered as sensing medium. Graphene surface is activated by phosphate-buffered saline solution for better attachment of Leptospirosis bacteria on its surface. Oliguria and Polyuria are the Rodent urine with high and low concentrations of Leptospirosis bacteria, respectively. The transfer matrix method is used for the formulation of reflection intensity of p-polarized light. The reflectance curves for angular interrogation are plotted and the results are obtained in terms of sensitivity, detection accuracy, and quality factor. The significantly high sensitivity and detection accuracy for Oliguria distinguishes it from Polyuria having lower sensitivity.