Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
14:18
Automation of Mode Locking in a Nonlinear Polarization Rotation Fiber Laser through Output Polarization Measurements
Published on: February 28, 2016
Observation of lock-in behavior in a passive resonator gyroscope
1Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Optics Letters
|September 5, 2009
Summary
Lock-in behavior in passive ring resonator gyroscopes is caused by backscattering. Several nonmechanical methods effectively eliminate this issue in passive gyroscopes.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Optical Engineering
- Inertial Navigation
Background:
- Passive ring resonators are sensitive rotation sensors.
- Lock-in behavior, caused by backscattering, limits gyroscope accuracy near zero rotation.
- This phenomenon is analogous to issues found in ring laser gyros.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the lock-in behavior in closed-loop passive ring resonator gyroscopes.
- To demonstrate nonmechanical techniques for mitigating lock-in effects.
- To improve the performance of passive gyroscopes.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of lock-in behavior in a closed-loop passive ring resonator.
- Implementation and testing of various nonmechanical techniques.
- Analysis of gyroscope output under different conditions.
Main Results:
- Lock-in behavior was confirmed around zero rotation rate.
- Demonstrated successful elimination of lock-in using nonmechanical methods.
- Quantified the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.
Conclusions:
- Backscattering is the primary cause of lock-in in passive ring resonator gyroscopes.
- Nonmechanical techniques offer a viable solution for eliminating lock-in.
- The demonstrated methods enhance the precision and reliability of passive gyroscopes.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Gyroscope: Precession
Precession can be demonstrated effectively through a spinning top. If a spinning top is placed on a flat surface near the surface of the Earth at a vertical angle and is not spinning, it will fall over due to the force of gravity producing a torque acting on its center of mass. However, if the top is spinning on its axis, it precesses about the vertical direction, rather than topple over due to this torque. Precessional motion is a combination of a steady circular motion of the axis and the...
01:02Gyroscope
A gyroscope is defined as a spinning disk in which the axis of rotation is free to assume any orientation. When spinning, the orientation of the spin axis is unaffected by the orientation of the body that encloses it. The body or vehicle enclosing the gyroscope can be moved from place to place, while the orientation of the spin axis remains the same. This makes gyroscopes very useful in navigation, especially where magnetic compasses cannot be used, such as in crewed and crewless spacecraft,...
01:06Forced Oscillations
When an oscillator is forced with a periodic driving force, the motion may seem chaotic. The motions of such oscillators are known as transients. After the transients die out, the oscillator reaches a steady state, where the motion is periodic, and the displacement is determined.
01:30Oscillations In An LC Circuit
An idealized LC circuit of zero resistance can oscillate without any source of emf by shifting the energy stored in the circuit between the electric and magnetic fields. In such an LC circuit, if the capacitor contains a charge q before the switch is closed, then all the energy of the circuit is initially stored in the electric field of the capacitor. This energy is given by
01:09Torsional Pendulum
A torsional pendulum involves the oscillation of a rigid body in which the restoring force is provided by the torsion in the string from which the rigid body is suspended. Ideally, the string should be massless; practically, its mass is much smaller than the rigid body's mass and is neglected.
As long as the rigid body's angular displacement is small, its oscillation can be modeled as a linear angular oscillation. The amplitude of the oscillation is an angle. The role of mass is played by the...
As long as the rigid body's angular displacement is small, its oscillation can be modeled as a linear angular oscillation. The amplitude of the oscillation is an angle. The role of mass is played by the...
01:24Galvanometer
Common devices, including car instrument panels, battery chargers, and inexpensive electrical instruments, measure potential difference (voltage), current, or resistance using a d'Arsonval galvanometer. This electromechanical instrument is also known as a moving coil galvanometer.
The galvanometer consists of two concave-shaped permanent magnets, providing a uniform radial magnetic field in the annular region. In the center, a pivoted coil of fine copper wire is placed in the uniform magnetic...
The galvanometer consists of two concave-shaped permanent magnets, providing a uniform radial magnetic field in the annular region. In the center, a pivoted coil of fine copper wire is placed in the uniform magnetic...