Fluid-fluid phononic crystal sensor for the detection of ethanol concentration in water

In this article, a fluid-fluid 2D hexagonal lattice phononic crystal sensor has been regarded for the detection of ethanol-water mixture concentration (in the range of 20%-100%). The structure is composed of mercury and water as the matrix and inclusions, respectively and a thin layer of latex is considered between the matrix and inclusions which will not affect the practical performance of the sensor. A cavity has been formed by properly adjusting the radius of the sensing area and the transmission spectra obtained by finite element method, shifts toward longer wavelengths by the increment of ethanol concentration. The sensitivity and average Q-factor of 67.49 Hz.m3/kg and 33593.44 have been obtained, respectively. The sensor is applicable for the detection of ethanol mixture in water with diverse concentrations. The results indicate that the proposed structure could be used as a highly efficient sensor in industry and biology.