Under-Coupling Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator Applied to Resonant Micro-Optic Gyroscope

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMRs) are critical sensing elements in resonant micro-optic gyroscopes (RMOGs).
• The performance of RMOGs is highly dependent on the parameters of the WGMR, particularly its quality factor (Q value) and coupling coefficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate an under-coupling resonator design to enhance WGMR Q value.
• To optimize the coupling coefficient for maximizing RMOG sensitivity.
• To demonstrate the practical improvement in RMOG performance using the developed resonator.

Main Methods:

• Simulation, design, fabrication, and testing of GeO₂-doped silica waveguide-type resonators with varying coupling coefficients.
• Characterization of resonator quality factor, achieving up to 10 million.
• Integration of the optimized under-coupling resonator into an RMOG system.
• Experimental evaluation of the RMOG scale factor on a high-precision rotating platform.

Main Results:

• An under-coupling ring resonator with a quality factor of 10 million was successfully fabricated.
• The developed resonator significantly improved the RMOG sensitivity.
• Experimental results demonstrated a five-fold increase in RMOG sensitivity compared to systems without the optimized resonator.

Conclusions:

• The proposed under-coupling resonator design effectively enhances the Q value of WGMRs.
• Optimizing the coupling coefficient is crucial for maximizing RMOG sensitivity.
• This work presents a practical method for improving the performance of resonant micro-optic gyroscopes.