Thermal effects on mass detection sensitivity of carbon nanotube resonators in nonlinear oscillation regime

A mass sensor using a nano-resonator has high detection sensitivity, and mass sensitivity is higher with smaller resonators. Therefore, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the ultimate materials for these applications and have been actively studied. In particular, CNT-based nanomechanical devices may experience high temperatures that lead to thermal expansion and residual stress in devices, which affects the device reliability. In this letter, to demonstrate the influence of the temperature change (i.e., thermal effect) on the mass detection sensitivity of CNT-based mass sensor, dynamic analysis is carried out for a CNT resonator with thermal effects in both linear and nonlinear oscillation regimes. Based on the continuum mechanics model, the analytical solution method with an assumed deflection eigenmode is applied to solve the nonlinear differential equation which involves the von Karman nonlinear strain–displacement relation and the additional axial force associated with thermal effects. A thermal effect on the fundamental resonance behavior and resonance frequency shift due to adsorbed mas, i.e., mass detection sensitivity, is examined in high-temperature environment. Results indicate a valid improvement of fundamental resonance frequency by using nonlinear oscillation in a thermal environment. In both linear and nonlinear oscillation regimes, the mass detection sensitivity becomes worse due to the increasing of temperature in a high-temperature environment. The thermal effect on the detection sensitivity is less effective in the nonlinear oscillation regime. It is concluded that a temperature change of a mass sensor with a CNT-based resonator can be utilized to enhance the detection sensitivity depending on the CNT length, linear/nonlinear oscillation behaviors, and the thermal environment.     

侧面压迫式及端面拉伸式增敏光纤光栅水声传感器

研究了采用侧面压迫式增敏和端面拉伸式增敏的无源光纤光栅水声传感器。采用灌注和弹性片端面增敏两种方案分别对光纤光栅传感器进行增敏。研究结果表明灌注方案谐振频率过低(300Hz),高频灵敏度过低(小于-205dB),且制作工艺要求比较复杂;弹性片端面增敏方案采用铍铜片进行增敏,在100～1000Hz频率范围内灵敏度为(-175±2)dB。对端面增敏传感器进行了封装,并应用于水声的检测实验。实验表明,该传感器在灵敏度及灵敏度频响指标上已经可以满足应用要求。     

Arrays of doped and un-doped semiconductors for sensor applications

This numerical investigation proposes to use a lamellar grating of doped semiconductors as the active region of a nanoplasmonic biosensing device. Working with highly doped semiconductors instead of a metal allows controlling the value of the plasma frequency. It is possible to reach a plasma frequency close to the range of detection of the sensor to improve its sensitivity. A?red shift of the plasmonic resonance of 10.2?nm for a 10^?2 refractive index unit increase can be achieved.     

用于矢量水听器的低频高灵敏度层合梁加速度传感器

压电加速度传感器是同振型矢量水听器的核心部件。为了满足低频高灵敏度矢量水听器的应用需求,提出并研究一种具有层合梁结构的低频高灵敏度加速度传感器。结合弹性力学和压电方程推导层合梁加速度传感器的加速度灵敏度解析解表达式,通过有限元仿真对层合梁加速度传感器尺寸进行优化,给出优化后的尺寸范围。从优化的尺寸范围中选取两种不同尺寸进行加速度传感器振动特性的仿真分析及实物制作(其中压电材料为PZT-5)与性能测试。仿真与测试结果均表明,相比已有的同尺寸金属梁加速度传感器,层合梁加速度传感器可以有效降低谐振频率并提升加速度灵敏度。当压电层厚度为0.5 mm时,加速度灵敏度最大提升3.9 dB,谐振频率下降23%。测试结果与理论分析相符。      

Optimization of optical ring resonator devices for sensing applications

The Q-factor of an optical resonance device determines the width of its transmission resonances. For this reason, in sensing applications of optical resonators, it is commonly assumed that the Q-factor fully determines resonator sensitivity. Practically, the latter is not exactly correct. In this Letter, the parameters responsible for the sensitivity of resonance devices (i.e., the steepness and the sharpness of the transmission resonance) are analyzed. It is shown that, for given intrinsic losses of a single ring resonator sensor, the slope of the resonance is largest if its extinction ratio is 9.5 dB, while the resonance is sharpest if its extinction ratio is 6 dB. For a sensor consisting of several identical ring resonators coupled to a bus waveguide, the largest slope and sharpness parameters correspond to the extinction ratios of ~9 dB and ~4.5 dB, respectively. The determined optimum parameters can be achieved by tuning the coupling between the resonator rings and the waveguide.     

Bending sensor based on intermodal interference properties of two-dimensional waveguide array fiber

We propose a highly sensitive bending sensor based on the intermodal interference properties of a strongly coupled two-dimentional waveguide array fiber (WAF). The interference resonance peaks formed by the SMF-WAF-SMF Mach-Zehnder interferometer are intrinsically the result of interference between the LP(01)-like supermode and other higher order supermodes, displaying supernormal sensitivity to bending in a wide curvature range. The bending sensitivity of the intermodal MZI is a quadratic function of curvature, and the resonance wavelength shift is up to 100 nm within a curvature range 0-10 m(-1). The fabrication reveals briefness, and temperature response shows little impact on the bend sensing precision. The high bending sensitivity and wide sensing range can make this device a candidate for bending discrimination and measurement in widespread areas.     

A simple fibre Fabry-Perot sensor

A simple fibry Fabry-Perot sensor is described in which the uncoated cleaved ends of a length of single mode fibre are employed as the mirror surfaces to produce high visibility cosine squared fringes in the back reflected light. In an accelerometer configuration the device displayed a below resonance sensitivity of ?200 rads/g.     

基于太赫兹超材料的微流体折射率传感器

太赫兹生物医学是目前光谱研究领域的热点,其主要难点在于如何有效避免水分的干扰,进行液相环境下样本的灵敏分析与检测。超材料太赫兹传感器由于具有高灵敏、快速检测、痕量分析等优势,而成为太赫兹生物医学传感领域的重要研究方法。设计加工了一种基于单开口谐振环超材料的太赫兹液相传感芯片,为了有效克服水对太赫兹波的强烈吸收,利用微纳加工技术刻蚀深度为50 μm的流体通道。传感芯片整合了超材料基底与PDMS流道,在THz频段有两个位于0.771和2.129 THz的谐振峰。以水、无水乙醇作为常见化学溶剂进行传感实验,相对于空白传感器本身的THz时域谱而言,液体的加入导致时域峰的相位延迟和幅度减小。同时,由于水的折射率大于乙醇,THz透射频谱结果显示为水的频移改变量大于乙醇,且峰2大于等于峰1。上述结果表明,构建的超材料液相传感芯片是一个灵敏的折射率传感器,也证明了该传感器在测量液态样品方面的可行性。此外,利用该芯片研究了不同浓度的PBS溶液,发现水溶液中加入离子会导致谐振频率红移（以水为参考）,随着离子浓度增加,谐振频率改变量依次增加,10X PBS红移量最大,峰1为22.9 GHz,峰2为30.5 GHz。比较两个谐振峰的传感性能,峰2的传感能力更好,但是峰1对低浓度的离子溶液更加敏感。因此,构建的微流体传感器及检测体系作为一个灵敏的折射率传感器,可开发一个灵敏的无标记THz传感平台,为太赫兹生物医学研究提供新思路。     

波长调制型表面等离子体共振的传感特性研究

表面等离子体共振(SPR)光学传感器能实现生物医学的快速、 无标记、 高精度检测,是生物化学分析的重要方法。 研制了基于波长调制型的Kretschmann结构表面等离子体共振(SPR)生物传感系统,研究了在体溶液传感方式下的传感性能。 利用不同浓度的乙醇和乙二醇溶液进行体溶液传感测试。 实验结果表明,在折射率低时共振波长对折射率变化响应的灵敏度低,但响应的线性度高;随着折射率增大,共振波长对折射率的响应变化的灵敏度提高。 在1.407 0～1.430 RIU折射率范围内,灵敏度高达11 487 nm·RIU-1。 传感器的共振波长的稳定性为0.213 8 nm,可分辨最小折射率趋近10-6 RIU。 所研制的波长调制型表面等离子共振传感器操作简单、 灵敏度高、 检测范围大,可实现浓度极低生物标记物的有效检测,在化学、 生物传感领域有重要的应用。     

地表振动传感器质量对水平耦合谐频的影响*

使用振声法探测埋地物体时,表层土壤松软导致地表振动传感器在耦合环节发生谐振, 造成谐频附近的信号失真,限制了所采信号的可用频段。针对传感器在水平方向的耦合谐振问题,该文研究了传感器质量对谐振频率的影响。仿真对比了传感器质量为2~250 g情况下信号采集系统的频响特征,并在季节性的冻土地表开展了对比实验与横波波速测量实验。仿真与实验结果表明：250 g传感器所对应的耦合谐频不超过800 Hz;2 g传感器的耦合谐频可超过1200 Hz;传感器质量越轻,耦合谐振频率越高,所采信号的可用频段越宽。     

核磁共振测井仪探头设计中的数值方法

核磁共振测井仪探头的优化设计能够增强仪器的探测特性,提高仪器的信噪比, 而探头设计中的数值方法对设计结果至关重要.本文利用电磁场有限元方法对贴井壁型核磁共振测井仪探头静磁场和射频场进行了2D和3D的数值模拟,深入分析了数值模型形状、模型尺寸、 单元形状对数值模拟结果的影响,并将有限元数值模拟结果与实测数据做了对比. 结果显示:数值模拟结果与实测数据符合.在设计核磁共振测井仪探头结构时, 选取与井眼形状一致的圆形模型,模型尺寸范围在10—15倍探头外径, 并采用三角形单元可以有效提高数值模拟方法精度,增强优化设计结果的可靠性.     

Design and optimization of nano-column array based surface plasmon resonance sensor

In this paper, a surface plasmon resonance fiber sensor based on gold nano-column array instead of gold film is designed and optimized. The finite element method is used to optimize the diameter of the nano-gold column under the consideration of figure of merit, which relates to the sensitivity, resonance wavelength and resonance intensity. The optimized sensor has 70 nm gold nano-column coated on a side polished single mode fiber. The results show that the average sensitivity reaches 5318 nm/RIU when the environmental refractive index changing from 1.33 to 1.39 RIU, which is much higher than those in the conventional surface plasmon resonance structure. The optimizes design will serve a vital foundation to the fabrication of high performance fiber optic surface plasmon resonance sensors based on nano metallic structure.     

热声转换的声表面波电压传感机制

提出了一种基于热声转换的高灵敏声表面波(SAW)电压传感机制并开展实验验证。从传热角度以及微扰理论出发建立了基于热声转换机制的SAW电压传感理论模型,探索了结构参数以及环境因素对SAW电压传感器灵敏度的影响规律。为了验证理论模型,在Y切石英基底上同芯片集成设计MEMS微型加热器与200 MHz声表面波器件以制备SAW电压传感器件,并搭建电压测试平台对传感器件开展性能测试。实验结果表明所制备的SAW传感器件电压与频率响应之间具有二次线性关系且在室温(20℃)下具有与理论相近的电压灵敏度(22.4 kHz/V),此外实验获得的环境温度对电压灵敏度的影响规律与理论相符。基于热声转换机制的SAW电压传感器能够显著的提高电压检测灵敏度。     

Application of an electrostatically actuated cantilevered carbon nanotube with an attached mass as a bio-mass sensor

In the present paper, another latent capability of SWCNT as a mass sensor is investigated. The relationship between the resonant frequency, dynamic pull-in voltage at the resonance frequency shift, and the attached mass is established by using the nonlocal Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. Using this relationship, a general closed-form nonlinear sensor-equation has been derived for the detection of the mass attached to the SWCNT. The aim of this study and present model is to show the sensitivity of the Cantilevered SWCNT to the values and positions of attached mass. Moreover, the results indicate that by increasing the value of attached mass and considering a single non-local scaling parameter (e₀), the values of dynamic pull-in voltage at the resonance frequency shift are decreased. Because of the small scaling parameter (e₀), the mass sensitivity of carbon nanotube increases, when the position of the attached mass is in the tip of a Cantilevered SWCNT length. The authority and the accuracy of these formulas are examined with other pull-in sensor equations in literatures. The results demonstrate that the new sensor equation can be applied for CNT-based mass sensors with rational accuracy.     

MEMS仿生矢量水听器微结构的有限元分析

结合压电原理和仿生学理论,利用MEMS工艺制作的仿生矢量水听器,具有高灵敏度、宽频带、矢量性及高信噪比等特点。为了进一步提高水听器预测水下环境中声学特性的准确性并提高其固有频率,利用有限元方法对MEMS水听器仿生微结构进行优化分析。首先,对仿生微结构固有频率和灵敏度与其结构尺寸关系作了理论分析并画出不同微结构尺寸下的固有频率和最大应力曲线。其次,运用ANSYS软件对仿生微结构进行有限元仿真并画出固有频率和最大应力响应曲线。对比分析理论与仿真结果,得出当悬臂梁长、宽、厚及仿生纤毛的高度和半径分别为400, 80, 50, 1000和80 m 时,MEMS矢量水听器的性能得到最优化,同时对理论与仿真结果的差异进行了分析。     

薄膜体声波谐振器的力敏特性研究

薄膜体声波谐振器(FBAR)力传感器作为一种新型的谐振式传感器,力敏特性是其设计原理。以FBAR微加速度计为例研究了工作在纵波模式,采用具有纤锌矿结构的AlN作为压电薄膜的FBAR,施加应力载荷后,其弹性常数改变导致FBAR谐振频率偏移的力敏特性。首先,采用有限元(FEA)静力学仿真,得到惯性力载荷作用下集成在硅微悬臂梁上的压电薄膜的应力分布;选取最大应力值作为载荷,基于第一性原理计算纤锌矿AlN的弹性系数与应力的关系式,预测惯性力载荷作用下AlN弹性系数的最大变化量。其次,采用谐响应分析,对比空载和不同惯性力载荷作用下FBAR微加速度计的谐振频率和偏移特性,预测FBAR微加速度计的加速度-谐振频率偏移特性。最后仿真分析得到:惯性力载荷作用下,FBAR微加速度计的谐振频率向高频偏移,灵敏度约为数kHz/g;其加速度增量-谐振频率偏移特性曲线具有良好的线性度。     

Multi-core orthogonal fluxgate sensor

A multi-core orthogonal fluxgate sensor is presented, in which the sensing element is formed by multiple insulated thin-wires of a soft ferromagnetic material. Experiments were conducted to investigate the characteristics of the sensor. The results showed that the sensor sensitivity increased exponentially with increasing the number of cores in the sensing element. Such an increase was neither due to increase in the excitation current passing through the sensing element because the number of cores was increased, nor due to the increase of the ferromagnetic material in the sensing element. The results further showed that the sensitivity increases with increasing the number of cores exponentially only if the multiple cores of the sensing element are closely packed, and that there is a resonance in the sensing output corresponding to an external field, which becomes significant as the number of cores reaches a certain large value and varies in its corresponding external magnetic field with the frequency of the excitation current. All the results indicated that in multi-core orthogonal fluxgate sensor, driven by the high frequency of the excitation current passing through the multiple cores, there is a dynamic magnetic interaction between the cores in the sensing element, which increases the sensitivity.     

Analysis of resonance characteristics of solidly mounted resonator for mass sensing applications

Solidly mounted resonators (SMRs) have recently been adopted as alternatives to quartz crystal microbalance in bio-molecular and chemical detection field. In this study, the resonance characteristics of highly c-axis-textured AlN film-based SMR were investigated to obtain better sensitivity for mass sensing applications. The resonant frequencies and quality factors of SMR with different sizes and shapes of active resonant configuration were characterized. The results show that the effect of active resonant area on the resonance frequency is insignificant. However, the quality factor is strongly dependent on the size and shape of active resonant area. Optimized resonant patterns were applied to a 2.0 GHz SMR and mass sensor. Experimental results indicate that the sensitivity of the device achieved can be as high as 6,544 Hz cm²/ng, which shows the promising application in bio-molecular and industrial detecting application.     

Slab waveguide with air core layer and anisotropic left-handed material claddings as a sensor

A three-layer slab waveguide with air core layer and anisotropic left-handed material claddings is investigated for sensing applications. Different from the waveguide mode sensors and surface plasmon resonance sensors in which the analyte is placed in the evanescent field region, the proposed sensor contains the sample in the core region that supports the oscillating field. Due to the strong concentration of the electromagnetic field in the analyte medium, the proposed device exhibits unusual sensitivity enhancement. The simulations revealed that the sensitivity improvement of TE₃ mode compared to conventional evanescent wave sensor is approximately a factor of 20.     

Investigating the effect of gas absorption on the electromechanical and electrochemical behavior of graphene/ZnO structure,suitable for highly selective and sensitive gas sensors

Graphene/ZnO hybrid was used, for the first time, to fabricate a highly selective and sensitive graphene based gas sensor by a combination of electromechanical and electrochemical characteristics of the graphene. ZnO nanowires in our fabricated sensor have two important roles: as the reductant of graphene oxide to obtain graphene and as an efficient electromechanical actuator due to their piezoelectric properties. To investigate the operation of the fabricated sensor as a gas sensor, a selected set of chemical vapors were introduced to the structure. It was found that chemical vapors change the resonance frequency of the graphene/ZnO structure, as well as the electrical resistivity of the sensor. The observed variation of the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the graphene/ZnO in response to gas exposure entitles the graphene/ZnO based sensor as a highly selective/sensitive device for gas sensing applications with distinctive signatures for different gas species.