Cantilever-based microring lasers embedded in a deformable substrate for local strain gauges

• Main Authors: Taojie Zhou, Xiu Liu, Yuzhou Cui, Yuansen Cheng, Xuan Fang, Weilin Zhang, Boyuan Xiang, Zhaoyu Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIP Publishing LLC 2018-07-01
• Series: AIP Advances
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5033365

A cantilever-based microring laser structure was proposed for easily integrating III-V active layer into mechanically stretchable substrates. Local strain gauges were demonstrated by embedding cantilever-based microring lasers in a deformable polymer substrate. The characterizations of microscale local strain gauges had been studied from both simulated and experimental results. The lasing wavelength of strain gauges was blue-shift and linear tuned by stretching the flexible substrate. Gauge factor being ∼11.5 nm per stretching unit was obtained for a cantilever-based microring laser with structural parameters R=1.25 μm, W1=450 nm and W2=240 nm. Such microring lasers embedded in a flexible substrate are supposed to function not only as strain gauges for monitoring the micro- or nano-structured deformation, but also tunable light sources for photonic integrated circuits.