Multifunctional Ultrahigh Sensitive Microwave Planar Sensor to Monitor Mechanical Motion: Rotation, Displacement, and Stretch

Abstract

This paper presents a novel planar multifunctional sensor that is used to monitor physical variations in the environment regarding distance, angle, and stretch. A double split-ring resonator is designed at 5.2 GHz as the core operating sensor. Another identical resonator is placed on top of the first one. The stacked configuration is theoretically analyzed using an electric circuit model with a detailed parameter extraction discussion. This design is first employed as a displacement sensor, and a compelling high sensitivity of 500 MHz/mm is observed for a wide dynamic range of 0-5 mm. Then, in another configuration, the stacked design is used as a rotation sensor that results in a high sensitivity of 4.5 MHz/ ° for the full range of 0-180 ° . In addition, the stacked resonator is utilized as a strain detector, and a 0–30% stretch is emulated with a linear sensitivity of 12 MHz/%. Measurements are well in congruence with simulated results, which proves the accurate functionality of the sensor in tracking mechanical deformations, all in a single compact contraption.