High-sensitivity and high-Q-factor glass photonic crystal cavity and its applications as sensors

We investigate the properties of a planar photonic crystal cavity on glass and its applications as sensors. An airbridged twofold defect cavity on Schott glass background and Gorilla glass substrate has been designed for high Q-factor up to 4459. The average sensitivity of the cavity resonance to background refractive index is 388 nm/Refractive Index Unit. The resonant wavelength is sensitive to background temperature by 18.5 pm/degrees C. The designed sensors show much higher sensitivity than those based on waveguide interferometers or photonic bandgap structures without cavity resonance. The results are also useful for experimental studies of glass photonic devices. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America