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Title
Design and Fabrication of Novel Optomechanical Sensors
Abstract
In this manuscript, several optomechanical sensors for operation at low and high frequencies are introduced. These sensors are primarily intended as accelerometer systems for use as precisions measurement tools, with applications in a wide range of fields, including gravitational physics, geodesy, seismology, and inertial sensing. We present four optical readout methods along with a mechanical modulation scheme for homodyne readouts to mitigate 1/f noise induced by a photodetector readout. These methods include a shadow sensor, a fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer, a heterodyne interferometer, and a Si3N4 waveguide optical ring resonator readout. These optical methods are paired with different resonator systems, depending on size and application. Low and high frequency resonators made from monolithic fused silica or silicon provide systems with large Qs, allowing for compact highly sensitive sensors that function over a broad range of operation temperatures and are vacuum compatible. The resonators presented operate in a linear fundamental mode according to the equation of motion of a damped-spring-mass oscillator. The resonator designs, Si resonator fabrication, mount design, system testing, and current results are presented.