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

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-021-00472-2  

   Liao, Jie; Yang, Lan (December 2021, Light: Science & Applications)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract 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. 

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2. Air-Coupled Whispering Gallery Mode On-Chip Microspherical Shell Resonator for High-Frequency Ultrasound Detection

   https://doi.org/10.1109/LSENS.2024.3433472  

   Huang, Chichen; Zhang, Jiayuan; Tadigadapa, Srinivas (September 2024, IEEE Sensors Letters)

   Langfelder, Giacomo (Ed.)

   In this letter, we report on a high-sensitivity whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator-based air-coupled ultrasound sensor capable of detecting minute pressure variations across an ultrasound frequency spectrum of 0.6–3.5 MHz. The sensor comprises a microspherical glass shell of approximately 450 μm in radius and nonuniform shell thickness of 7–15 μm, which is optically coupled to a tunable laser for resonance excitation. The setup allows for the precise measurement of acoustic signals, benefiting from the high optical Q-factor of ∼2 million of the blown glass microspherical shells. A noise equivalent pressure as low as 40 μPa/ √Hz was obtained at 1.72-MHz ultrasound frequency. A very good correspondence between the simulated axisymmetric resonance frequencies measured using the WGM resonator and a 3D finite-element analysis model in COMSOL was established. The sensor showed an expected linear dependence on the drive voltage of the ultrasound transducer. The distortion of the microspherical shell under acoustic pressure was also independently confirmed using a laser Doppler vibrometer. The sensor’s capability to handle high-frequency ultrasonic waves with significantly better signal-to-noise ratio than conventional piezoelectric- or microphone-based systems is demonstrated, highlighting its suitability for advanced photoacoustic applications. 

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3. How to achieve exceptional points in coupled resonators using a gyrator or PT-symmetry, and in a time-modulated single resonator: high sensitivity to perturbations

   https://doi.org/10.1051/epjam/2022006  

   Nikzamir, Alireza; Rouhi, Kasra; Figotin, Alexander; Capolino, Filippo (January 2022, EPJ Applied Metamaterials)

   Mann, Sander; Vellucci, Stefano (Ed.)

   We study the rise of exceptional points of degeneracy (EPD) in various distinct circuit configurations such as gyrator-based coupled resonators, coupled resonators with PT-symmetry, and in a single resonator with a time-varying component. In particular, we analyze their high sensitivity to changes in resistance, capacitance, and inductance and show the high sensitivity of the resonance frequency to perturbations. We also investigate stability and instability conditions for these configurations; for example, the effect of losses in the gyrator-based circuit leads to instability, and it may break the symmetry in the PT-symmetry-based circuit, also resulting in instabilities. Instability in the PT-symmetry circuit is also generated by breaking PT-symmetry when one element (e.g., a capacitor) is perturbed due to sensing. We have turned this instability “inconvenience” to an advantage, and we investigate the effect of nonlinear gain in the PT-symmetry coupled-resonator circuit and how this leads to an oscillator with oscillation frequency very sensitive to perturbation. The circuits studied in this paper have the potential to lead the way for a more efficient generation of high-sensitivity sensors that can detect very small changes in chemical, biological, or physical quantities. 

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4. A Self-Tuned Method for Impedance-Matching of Planar-Loop Resonators in Conformable Wearables

   https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11172784  

   Bing, Sen; Chawang, Khengdauliu; Chiao, J.-C. (September 2022, Electronics)

   Loop structure has been used as a single resonator and in meta-materials. Variations from the loop structures such as split-ring resonators have been utilized as sensing elements in integrated devices for wearable applications or in array configurations for free-space resonance. Previously, impedance formula and equivalent circuit models have been developed for a single loop made of a conductor wire with a negligible wire diameter in the free space. Despite the features of being planar and small, however, the quality factors of single-loop resonators or antennas have not been sufficiently high to use them efficiently for sensing or power transfer. To investigate the limitation, we first experimentally examined the formula and equivalent circuits for a single loop made of planar metal sheets, along with finite element simulations. The loop performance factor was varied to validate the formula and equivalent circuits. Then a tuning element was utilized in the planar loop to improve resonance by providing distributed impedance-matching to the loop. The proposed tuning method was demonstrated with simulations and measurements. A new equivalent circuit model for the tuned loop resonator was established. Quality factors at resonance show significant improvement and the tuning can be done for a specific resonance order without changing the loop radius. It was also shown that the tuning method provided more robust performance for the resonator. The tuning mechanism is suitable for miniature planar device architectures in sensing applications, particularly for implants and wearables that have constraints in dimensions and form factors. The equivalent circuit model can also be applied for meta-materials in arrayed configurations. 

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5. Small mode volume plasmonic film-coupled nanostar resonators

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D0NA00262C  

   Charchi, Negar; Li, Ying; Huber, Margaret; Kwizera, Elyahb Allie; Huang, Xiaohua; Argyropoulos, Christos; Hoang, Thang (June 2020, Nanoscale Advances)

   Confining and controlling light in extreme subwavelength scales are tantalizing tasks. In this work, we report a study of individual plasmonic film-coupled nanostar resonators where polarized plasmonic optical modes are trapped in ultrasmall volumes. Individual gold nanostars, separated from a flat gold film by a thin dielectric spacer layer, exhibit a strong light confinement between the sub-10 nm volume of the nanostar's tips and the film. Through dark field scattering measurements of many individual nanostars, a statistical observation of the scattered spectra is obtained and compared with extensive simulation data to reveal the origins of the resonant peaks. We observe that an individual nanostar on a flat gold film can result in a resonant spectrum with single, double or multiple peaks. Further, these resonant peaks are strongly polarized under white light illumination. Our simulation data revealed that the resonant spectrum of an individual film-coupled nanostar resonator is related to the symmetry of the nanostar, as well as the orientation of the nanostar relative to its placement on the gold substrate. Our results demonstrate a simple new method to create an ultrasmall mode volume and polarization sensitive plasmonic platform which could be useful for applications in sensing or enhanced light–matter interactions. 

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