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High sensitivity pressure sensing via two-dimensional germanium photonic crystal

M. A. GHEZAL1,* , M. N. AMROUN2, A. BENCHIHEB3

Affiliation

  1. Laboratoire Physico-Chimie des Matériaux, Department of Electronics, Université of Laghouat, Laghouat, Algeria
  2. Materials Development and Characterization Laboratory, Department of Electronics, DjillaliLiabes University, BP89, SidiBelAbbés 22000, Algeria
  3. Microsystems and Instrumentation Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Constantine Constantine, Algeria

Abstract

This research focuses on enhancing the accuracy and properties of optical sensors, particularly those based on a two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PhC) structure with a triangular lattice composed of germanium (Ge). The primary objective is to improve sensitivity (S) and the quality factor (Q) within the pressure range of 1 GPa to 1.7 GPa, a critical parameter in sensor design. To achieve this, adjustments were made to the cavity within the sensing structure, and the radius of designated slots along the linear waveguide was fine-tuned. Using computational techniques such as Plane Wave Expansion (PWE) and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations, the photonic band gap (PhC), and transmission characteristics were thoroughly analyzed. The results demonstrate a linear shift in sensor response toward lower wavelengths with increasing pressure levels, achieving maximum sensitivity of 456 nm/RIU equivalent to 19.1 nm/GPa, a quality factor of 2931.16, a transmission rate of 99.56%, and an impressive full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.6 nm. These findings confirm the feasibility of the design as a high-sensitivity and high-quality pressure sensor, suitable for practical applications in pressure detection. The validation, supported by RSoft simulations and graphical representations, highlights favorable outcomes in terms of transmission values, sensitivity, and quality factor in the optimized sensor design..

Keywords

Photonic crystal (PhC), Photonic band gap (PBG), Refractive index (RI), Plane wave expansion PWE, Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), Transverse electric (TE), Transverse magnetic (TM), Sensitivity (S), Q Factor.

Submitted at: Nov. 17, 2025
Accepted at: Aug. 4, 2026

Citation

M. A. GHEZAL, M. N. AMROUN, A. BENCHIHEB, High sensitivity pressure sensing via two-dimensional germanium photonic crystal, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 28, Iss. 7-8, pp. 314-320 (2026)