• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.93-95
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• 2015

We present an optical detection method for the fundamental vibrational mode of a tuning fork crystal oscillator in air. A focused He/Ne laser beam is directed onto the edge of one vibrating tine of the tuning fork; its vibrating motion chops the incoming laser beam and modulates the intensity. The beam with modulated intensity is then detected and converted to an electrical signal by a high-speed photo-detector. This electrical signal is a sinusoid at the resonant frequency of the tuning fork vibration, which is 32.76 kHz. Our scheme is robust enough that the sinusoidal signal is detectable at up to $40^{\circ}$ of rotation of the tuning fork.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 1999

We attached a fiber tip on the branch of a quartz crystal oscillator in order to make a feedback control system for near field optical microscope. The electrical impedance of the quartz crystal oscillator depends on the distance between the surface of the sample and the tip caused by the surface damping. Using this method, we can directly monitor the distance between the sample and the tip without inserting extra beam which might give extra optical noise. We characterize the XY scanning resolution and the amplitude of the vibrating tip and the Z-dependent decay of the evanescent wave.