An Ultrasensitive Perovskite Single-Model Plasmonic Strain Sensor Based on Piezoelectric Effect

Interest in flexible photonics has been motivated by the development of artificial smart skins. In particular, coupling of photonics and mechanics can offer opportunities to realize ultrasensitive strain sensor, however, low-cost fabrication of flexible sensing device with desired photonic functionality remains a challenge. Hereby, the study reports an ultrasensitive strain-gauge sensor based on the poly(ethylenenaphthalate (PEN))/monocrystal Au/MgF₂/CsPbBr₃ nanorod/Al₂O₃/polyacrylonitrile (in short P/mAu/M/CPB@Al₂O₃@PAN), which are sensitive to nanoscale structure alterations of PEN substrate via the stress response of the single-mode laser based on the piezoelectric-effect. Wherein a low-threshold single-mode lasing (P_th ≈ 170 nJ cm⁻²) is achieved through coating Al₂O₃ on the CsPbBr₃ nanorod, producing the higher quality factor (Q ≈ 1637) to guarantee a much higher sensitivity in sensing application. Reversible spectral regulating of ≈3 nm in single-mode-lasing wavelength, with a subnanometre scale resolution <0.4 nm and the wavelength sensitivity (S_λ) as high as 160 nm RIU⁻¹, is validated in response to applied strain ranging from −1.31% to 1.31%. This work not only represents essential progress in construction of ultrasensitive and cost-effective flexible photonic sensor, but also lays the foundation for the potential application in smart photonic skins.