Silicon-Based Stress-Coupled Optical Racetrack Resonators for Seismic Prospecting

A silicon-based stress-coupled optical racetrack resonator with a crossbeam mass is proposed to detect acceleration for seismic prospecting. Acceleration applied on the crossbeam mass can result in optical phase changes in one racetrack cycle, which leads to a resonant wavelength shift. By systematically optimizing the resonator structure and mechanical characteristics, a very large wavelength shift of 52 pm under 1 g acceleration is demonstrated by numerical simulation. The maximum frequency of input signal can be up to 200 Hz. This silicon-based compact and high-performance racetrack resonator can have great potential for seismic prospecting.