COATED OPTICAL MICROCAVITY RESONATOR CHEMICAL SENSOR

摘要

A miniaturized chemical sensor features an optical microcavity (12) coated with a surface layer (14), and a waveguide (18) that evanescently couples light into the microcavity (12). The surface layer (14) is adapted to chemically interact with one or more molecule species in a chemical vapor surrounding the microcavity (12), so as to alter the evanescent light. The chemical interaction causes a change in the index of refraction of the microcavity (12), resulting in a measurable phase different readout. The refractive index sensitivity is substantially increased because of the high Q-value of the optical microcavity (12).