Silicon Microring Sensors 77

Drop
Laser spot
Input

Through
20 µm

(a)

–5 –4
Insertion loss (dB)

–10

log (BER)
–6

–15
–8

–20 –10

–12
–25
–2 –1 0 1 2
(b) Wavelength detuning (nm)

FIGURE 5.14 Cascaded silicon microring resonator. (From Vlasov, Y. et al., Nat. Photon., 2, 242, 2008.
With permission.)

can enhance the optical response to acoustic strain. Such polymer microring resonators are
experimentally demonstrated in detecting broadband ultrasound pulses from a 50 MHz trans-
ducer. Measured frequency response shows that these devices have potential in high-frequency,
ultrasound detection.

5.5 CONCLUSIONS
Silicon microring sensors can be highly sensitive with a very small footprint. The fabrication pro-
cess for the sensors and the extended subsystems is CMOS compatible since they are building on
a silicon material platform. Based on analyzing the basics of the single microring sensor using the
resonance theory, the sensitivity, selectivity, dynamic range, and thermal stability of the sensors are
discussed. In particular, the works about the microring sensor properties are introduced to elevate
the sensing performance, such as the Fano resonance, multiresonance, coupling-induced resonance,
microring arrays, and athermal resonance. The sensors based on these methods can be easily imple-
mented on the silicon platform, which makes the truly low-cost, smart optical sensing technology
possible. Through the different interactions to affect the index change, several microring sensor
applications are presented.
78 Smart Sensors for Industrial Applications

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