A silica-based integrated optic accelerometer

A silica based integrated optic accelerometer has been developed using the facilities of the Alberta Microelectronics Centre. The device was composed of a cantilever beam fabricated from a single mode ridge waveguide. Displacements of the cantilever due to an acceleration of the device result in a change in the optical power output from the device. Optical and mechanical models of the device are presented. The process developed for fabricating single mode ridge waveguides and cantilever waveguides is presented and discussed. Single mode ridge waveguides and cantilever waveguides were fabricated and tested. Results of propagation loss measurements and mode profile measurements on the single mode ridge waveguides are presented as well as results from loss versus displacement measurements of the cantilever waveguides.