Resonant integrated optical gyroscope with an ultra-high Q value SOI resonant ring

Area of Science:

• Photonics and optical engineering
• Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)

Background:

• Resonant optical gyroscopes (RIOGs) offer miniaturization potential for inertial sensing.
• Integrating multiple optical components onto a single chip is key to reducing size and weight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and demonstrate a compact RIOG by integrating key components onto a single chip.
• To achieve high performance in terms of bias instability and angular velocity detection.

Main Methods:

• Designed a silicon on insulator (SOI) resonator ring with a Q value of 4.65×10^6 using the Hermite curve.
• Developed a resonant micro-optical gyroscope (RMOG) incorporating the resonator ring, phase modulators, and detectors.
• Demonstrated a fully integrated RIOG by fabricating PIN modulators, detectors, and a ring resonator on a single chip.

Main Results:

• The resonant micro-optical gyroscope (RMOG) achieved a bias instability of 0.004°/s and detected angular velocities from -600°/s to +600°/s.
• The integrated RIOG significantly reduced the system footprint to 25 mm^2.
• The integrated RIOG demonstrated a bias instability of 0.06°/s.

Conclusions:

• Successful integration of optical gyroscope components onto a single chip is feasible.
• The developed RIOG shows promise for miniaturized, high-performance inertial sensing applications.
• Further research can explore advanced integration techniques for enhanced gyroscope performance and broader applicability.