Simulation and Design of an Optical Accelerometer

摘要

This paper presents a new type of accelerometer, the Micro-Opto-Mechanical Accelerometer (MOMA). Micro-opto-mechanical pressure sensors and microphones demonstrated already the excellent sensitivity on a very large pressure range which is possible thanks to their photonic read-out (1Pa precision over kPa range). In this paper, we design in the same technology an optical accelerometer using analytical equations as well as Finite Element simulations. The model takes into account the mechanical deformation of the device, its effect on the elongation of the waveguide, and also includes the optical losses. Using the opto-mechanical model, an optimum design is obtained varying device dimensions and waveguide positions in order to increase the accelerometer sensitivity.