Roll up polymer/oxide/polymer nanomembranes as a hybrid optical microcavity for humidity sensing

• DOI: 10.1039/c4nr03473b
• Publication Date: 2014-09-10T08:31:29Z
• Authors: J. Zhang; J. Zhong; Y. F. Fang; J. Wang; G. S. Huang; X. G. Cui; Y. F. Mei
• Keywords: Optical microcavity

A hybrid optical microcavity from rolled-up polymer/oxide/polymer nanomembranes presents its excellent capability for environmental relative humidity detection. When exposed to a moist surrounding, poly(acrylic acid)/poly(ethylenimine) polymers swell greatly due the absorption of water molecules, which thus leads an increased wall thickness tubular and therefore profound wavelength redshift whispering-gallery mode resonance. These experiments fit well with calculation based on Mie-scattering theory. Theoretical also demonstrates that thin walls our microcavities contribute high detection sensitivity compared other microcavities. Our work could lead new designs applications