Optical whispering-gallery mode barcodes for high-precision and wide-range temperature measurements

Temperature measurement: optical barcodes from whispering-gallery sensors Extremely precise measurement of temperature using devices known as whispering-gallery mode (WGM) sensors can be greatly improved using a technique that simultaneously monitors different modes, or patterns, of the optical signals. WGM sensors rely on the sustained circulation of light within closed concave microstructures-discs, rings, or spheres-similar to the movement of sound waves in whispering galleries such as the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Jie Liao and Lan Yang at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, developed procedures to analyse the effect of temperature on the collective patterns of light signals in WGM sensors. The results are converted into optical barcodes which indicate the temperature directly. This multimode system overcomes significant limitations imposed by the restricted range and less direct monitoring methods of existing single-mode sensors. Temperature is one of the most fundamental physical properties to characterize various physical, chemical, and biological processes. Even a slight change in temperature could have an impact on the status or dynamics of a system. Thus, there is a great need for high-precision and large-dynamic-range temperature measurements. Conventional temperature sensors encounter difficulties in high-precision thermal sensing on the submicron scale. Recently, optical whispering-gallery mode (WGM) sensors have shown promise for many sensing applications, such as thermal sensing, magnetic detection, and biosensing. However, despite their superior sensitivity, the conventional sensing method for WGM resonators relies on tracking the changes in a single mode, which limits the dynamic range constrained by the laser source that has to be fine-tuned in a timely manner to follow the selected mode during the measurement. Moreover, we cannot derive the actual temperature from the spectrum directly but rather derive a relative temperature change. Here, we demonstrate an optical WGM barcode technique involving simultaneous monitoring of the patterns of multiple modes that can provide a direct temperature readout from the spectrum. The measurement relies on the patterns of multiple modes in the WGM spectrum instead of the changes of a particular mode. It can provide us with more information than the single-mode spectrum, such as the precise measurement of actual temperatures. Leveraging the high sensitivity of WGMs and eliminating the need to monitor particular modes, this work lays the foundation for developing a high-performance temperature sensor with not only superior sensitivity but also a broad dynamic range.

Automated summary

Temperature measurement using optical barcodes from whispering-gallery sensors can be greatly improved by simultaneously monitoring different modes of optical signals. This technique overcomes limitations of existing single-mode sensors, providing high-precision and large-dynamic-range temperature measurements.