Silicon Photonic Electric Field Sensor Based on Electro-Optical Effect and Micro-Ring Resonator

Advanced electric field sensing and measurement technology are one of the important technical bases of the smart grid. In this paper, the basic principle and fabrication method of integrated optical waveguide electric field sensor based on electro-optic effect and the micro-ring resonator are presented. The refractive index of the electro-optic polymer film is changed under the electric field, which leads to the change of effective refractive index of the optical waveguide, and the electric field sensing can be realized by monitoring the shift of the silicon micro-ring resonant wavelength. Then, the theoretical and experimental results show that the shift in the micro-ring resonant wavelength of the sensor is directly proportional to the electric field amplitude, when the measured electric field amplitude is from -25kV/cm to 25 kV/cm. This paper can provide a theoretical basis for the miniaturization of electric field sensors and promote the development of silicon-based photoelectric sensors.