Design, simulation, and optimization of a polymer-based photonic crystal pressure sensor

In this study, we introduce a highly sensitive pressure sensor utilizing a polymer-based photonic crystal (PC) slab. When pressure is applied, changes in the shape of air holes and the refractive index cause shifts in the sensor’s resonance wavelengths. We systematically optimize the structure by exploring various radii, enabling the selection of an optimal configuration for the photonic waveguide. Through simulations of the optimized design, we analyze its behavior in response to changing pressure on the sensitive surface. Employing finite-difference time-domain and plane wave expansion methods, we investigate the optical characteristics of the sensor. Our numerical findings demonstrate that the optimized sensor exhibits exceptional quality factor, transmission, and sensitivity values of 29,363, 0.98, and 0.021 µm/GPa, respectively. These results surpass those reported in previous studies involving PC-based structures, highlighting the significant advancement achieved in our approach.