Investigating the simulation of the nonlinear Kerr effect in defective photonic crystals for light intensity sensing applications.

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Title: Investigating the simulation of the nonlinear Kerr effect in defective photonic crystals for light intensity sensing applications.
Authors: Ahmed, Ashour M.1 (AUTHOR) asmmohamed@imamu.edu.sa
Source: Sensor Review. 2026, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p311-321. 11p.
Subjects: Kerr electro-optical effect, Photonic crystals, Light transmission, Optical modulation, Luminosity, Zinc oxide, Calibration, Failure mode & effects analysis
Abstract: Purpose: This study aims to design and evaluate a photonic crystal (PC) sensor for high-intensity light detection, leveraging the nonlinear Kerr effect. The sensor structure incorporates zinc oxide (ZnO) as a defect layer embedded within alternating multilayers of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon (Si). Design/methodology/approach: The reflection spectrum and defect-mode behavior of the proposed sensor were analyzed using the transfer matrix method, with theoretical results validated through the finite element method. Sensor optimization was achieved by fine-tuning individual layer thicknesses. Additionally, the impact of fabrication-induced geometric deviations (±5% variation in thickness) was investigated to evaluate the device's robustness. The distribution of the electric field was also simulated. Findings: The resonance dip of the defect mode was observed to shift toward shorter wavelengths with increasing light intensity, resulting from a decrease in the refractive index of ZnO due to the Kerr effect. The resonance exhibited a sharp peak and minimal spectral broadening. The sensor demonstrated an average sensitivity of 203.9 nm/(MW/cm2). Moreover, the structure retained reliable optical performance despite fabrication tolerances up to ±5%. Originality/value: This work introduces a novel, high-performance PC sensor that exploits Kerr-induced refractive index modulation in ZnO. The integration of nonlinear optical behavior, precise multilayer engineering and robustness against fabrication errors positions the sensor as a promising solution for high-intensity optical sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Sensor Review is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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DbLabel: Engineering Source
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Investigating the simulation of the nonlinear Kerr effect in defective photonic crystals for light intensity sensing applications.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ahmed%2C+Ashour+M%2E%22">Ahmed, Ashour M.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> asmmohamed@imamu.edu.sa</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Sensor+Review%22">Sensor Review</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p311-321. 11p.
– Name: Subject
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  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kerr+electro-optical+effect%22">Kerr electro-optical effect</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Photonic+crystals%22">Photonic crystals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Light+transmission%22">Light transmission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Optical+modulation%22">Optical modulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Luminosity%22">Luminosity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Zinc+oxide%22">Zinc oxide</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Calibration%22">Calibration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Failure+mode+%26+effects+analysis%22">Failure mode & effects analysis</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study aims to design and evaluate a photonic crystal (PC) sensor for high-intensity light detection, leveraging the nonlinear Kerr effect. The sensor structure incorporates zinc oxide (ZnO) as a defect layer embedded within alternating multilayers of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silicon (Si). Design/methodology/approach: The reflection spectrum and defect-mode behavior of the proposed sensor were analyzed using the transfer matrix method, with theoretical results validated through the finite element method. Sensor optimization was achieved by fine-tuning individual layer thicknesses. Additionally, the impact of fabrication-induced geometric deviations (±5% variation in thickness) was investigated to evaluate the device's robustness. The distribution of the electric field was also simulated. Findings: The resonance dip of the defect mode was observed to shift toward shorter wavelengths with increasing light intensity, resulting from a decrease in the refractive index of ZnO due to the Kerr effect. The resonance exhibited a sharp peak and minimal spectral broadening. The sensor demonstrated an average sensitivity of 203.9 nm/(MW/cm2). Moreover, the structure retained reliable optical performance despite fabrication tolerances up to ±5%. Originality/value: This work introduces a novel, high-performance PC sensor that exploits Kerr-induced refractive index modulation in ZnO. The integration of nonlinear optical behavior, precise multilayer engineering and robustness against fabrication errors positions the sensor as a promising solution for high-intensity optical sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Sensor Review is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 311
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Kerr electro-optical effect
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Photonic crystals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Light transmission
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Optical modulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Luminosity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Zinc oxide
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Calibration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Failure mode & effects analysis
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Investigating the simulation of the nonlinear Kerr effect in defective photonic crystals for light intensity sensing applications.
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      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ahmed, Ashour M.
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 02602288
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              Value: 46
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            – TitleFull: Sensor Review
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