Ultrasensitive integrated circuit sensors based on high-order non-Hermitian topological physics | Science Advances

High-precision sensors are of fundamental importance in modern society and technology. Although numerous sensors have been developed, obtaining sensors with higher levels of sensitivity and stronger robustness has always been expected. Here, we propose theoretically and demonstrate experimentally an alternative class of sensors with superior performances based on exotic properties of high-order non-Hermitian topological physics. The frequency shift induced by perturbations for these sensors can show an exponential growth with respect to the size of the device, which can grow well beyond the limitations of conventional sensors. The fully integrated circuit chips have been designed and fabricated in a standard 65–nanometer complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process technology. Not only has the sensitivity of systems less than 10 ⁻³ femtofarad been experimentally verified, but these systems are also robust against disorders. Our proposed ultrasensitive integrated circuit sensors can have a wide range of applications in various fields and show an exciting prospect for next-generation sensing technologies.