High sensitivity gravimetric sensor made of carbon fiber epoxy composite on Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 single crystal substrate

We have derived a general formula for sensitivity optimization of gravimetric sensors and use it to design a high sensitivity gravimetric sensor using unidirectional carbon fiber epoxy composite (CFEC) guiding layer on (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-xPbTiO(3) (PMN-xPT) single crystal substrate. The normalized maximum sensitivity (vertical bar S-m(f)vertical bar lambda)(max) exhibits an increasing tendency with the decrease of (h/lambda)(opt). For the CFEC/[011](c) poled PMN-0.29PT sensor configuration with lambda = 24 mu m, the maximum sensitivity vertical bar S-m(f)vertical bar(max) can reach as high as 1230 cm(2)/g, which is about 3 times that of a traditional SiO2/ST quartz configuration gravimetric sensor. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.