WGM microprobe device for high-sensitivity and broadband ultrasound detection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel silica WGM microprobe device with high sensitivity and broad bandwidth for ultrasound detection, demonstrating its effectiveness in photoacoustic imaging and potential in various biomedical applications.

Contribution

The paper presents a new silica WGM microprobe with high Q factors, robust design, and broad bandwidth, enabling high-sensitivity ultrasound detection in gaseous and liquid environments.

Findings

Achieved a sensitivity of 5.4 mPa/√Hz

Bandwidth of 41 MHz at -6 dB

Capable of detecting microparticle vibrations up to hundreds of MHz

Abstract

Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavities have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional ultrasound probes, offering high sensitivity and wide bandwidth. In our research, we propose a novel silica WGM microprobe device, with impressive Q factors up to 10^7.The side-coupled approach and special encapsulation design make the device small, robust, and capable of utilizing in both gaseous and liquid environments.We have successfully conducted photoacoustic (PA) imaging on various samples using this device which demonstrates a high sensitivity of 5.4 mPa/sqrt(Hz) and a board bandwidth of 41 MHz at -6 dB for ultrasound. What's more, it's capable of capturing the vibration spectrum of microparticles up to a few hundred megahertz. Our compact and lightweight device exhibits significant application potential in PA endoscopic detection, near-field ultrasound sensing and other aspects.