A Proposal for an Optical MEMS Accelerometer Relied on Wavelength Modulation With One Dimensional Photonic Crystal

In this paper, we propose a novel sensitive optical MEMS accelerometer based on wavelength modulation, using one-dimensional photonic crystal. An air-dielectric multilayer photonic band gap material, a typical LED light source, a photo-diode, and integrated optical waveguides build up the optical sensing system of the proposed device. High reliability, negligible cross-axis sensitivity, good linearity in the whole measurement range, integration capability, and relatively wide measurement range are several advantages of the proposed device. The functional characteristics of the proposed sensor based on simulation results are as follows: a mechanical sensitivity of 3.18 nm/g, an optical sensitivity of 1.17 nm/g, a linear measurement range of +/- 22 g, a resonance frequency of 8908 Hz, and zero cross-axis sensitivity. Regarding the mentioned functional characteristics, the proposed MOEMS accelerometer can be an appropriate device for a wide range of applications, such as inertial navigation, and consumer electronics.