A compact flow velocity sensor based on dielectric optical microresonators is demonstrated. In this novel LiDAR-based sensor concept, velocity Doppler shifts from Mie-scattered light are determined using whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators. The microresonators could replace Fabry–Perot interferometers and other optical frequency discriminators often employed in remote sensing applications, thereby significantly reducing the size and weight of the measurement system, making it suitable for flow diagnostics for both earthbound and airborne platforms. Two sets of experiments are carried out to assess the feasibility of the sensor concept. In the first-level proof-of-concept experiments, the tangential velocity of a solid rotating disk is measured using a sphere microresonator, with encouraging results. In follow-up experiments, velocity measurements near the exit of an air jet nozzle are carried out. The air is seeded with water droplets, and the Mie-scattered light is analyzed using on-chip ring resonators. Both single-point and jet profile measurements are made. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a WGM microresonator-based flow sensor.
Flow Speed Sensor Based on Optical Microresonators
AIAA Journal ; 60 , 5 ; 2953-2960
2021-12-15
8 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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