Micro-machined optical fiber side-cantilevers for acceleration measurement

We propose an accelerometer based on a micro-cantilever fabricated onto the side of a single mode optical fiber using a combination of ps-laser machining and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) processing. FIB machining is also used to fabricate a 45° mirror onto the end of the fiber that is accurately aligned with optical fiber core. This provides a reliable means to optically address components attached to the side of the fiber, such as the cantilever. Using interferometry to accurately monitor the deflection of the side cantilever results in a device that is capable of measuring two-axis acceleration. Acceleration up to 6g is measured with a resolution of ~0.01g and a frequency range from DC to 500Hz has been demonstrated. The cross-axis sensitivity is below -32dB.