Chalcogenide-based nonlinear optical gyroscope

基于硫族化物的非线性光学陀螺仪

• 批准号: 2224065
• 负责人: Juliet Gopinath
• 金额: $ 42.5万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2224065&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Chalcogenide; based; nonlinear; optical; gyroscope

The goal of the proposed project is an ultrasensitive, high performance, chip-scale optical gyroscope, which takes advantage of material nonlinearities and photosensitivity to enhance performance. Measuring rotation of spinning objects is an important scientific objective. Additionally, it has a broad range of applications in consumer electronics, aircraft, inertial navigation, and astronomy, spanning multiple length scales from the macroscale (automotive, oil drilling, air travel, space exploration, submarine navigation) to the nanoscale (lab-on-a-chip and biological applications). The popular micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscopes, which exploits Coriolis force for rotation sensing, are small, light, and well-suited for consumer electronics, automotive needs, and medical instruments. However, for more demanding automotive, robotics, aerospace and defense applications, MEMS solutions are not suitable as they contain moving parts. Optical gyroscopes such as the ring laser gyroscope and the fiber optical gyroscope offer an alternative but suffer from poor signal-to-noise ratio, limiting their applicability, especially in environments where global positioning systems (GPS) are ineffective. Additionally, these conventional optical gyroscopes do not lend themselves to miniaturization. In this proposal, we offer a novel solution . The potential impact on electrical, mechanical and aerospace engineering, as well as astronomy and physics, will be enormous. The technical goals naturally integrate with the education and outreach plans. Interdisciplinary research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as researchers will blend research with education both in the laboratory and the classroom. The online Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering that University of Colorado Boulder is launching featured courses on both semiconductors, lasers, and detectors taught by both of the PIs. Outreach activities include a summer camp on electromagnetism for under-represented students, demonstration for several Engineering Days for under-represented students, advising of the Women in Electrical Engineering student group and a newly awarded Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program that is tied to several women’s groups include the Women in Science and Engineering and the Society for Women in Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. The innovative concept proposed in this project will enable a new level of performance on a chip-scale platform that will be critical for navigation in GPS-denied environments. It is particularly suited for space, drone, and other aerospace applications, where size, weight and power are critical factors. The conventional optical gyroscopes such as ring laser gyroscope and the fiber optical gyroscope rely on the Sagnac effect, in which a phase shift between optical beams, travelling in opposite directions, is induced under angular rotation. While these devices are effective, they are limited by the weakness of Sagnac effect and noise from nonlinearities, thermal fluctuations, and backscattering. This constrains the ability to perform at the necessary level for inertial navigation systems, especially in environments where global positioning systems (GPS) are ineffective. Additionally, the Sagnac effect is directly proportional to path area, creating significant hurdles for miniature devices. We propose a novel solution based on the Sagnac effect. The combination of a photosensitive, nonlinear chalcogenide material and a chip-scale platform is a game changer.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目的目标是实现超灵敏、高性能、芯片级光学陀螺仪，它利用材料非线性和光敏性来增强性能，测量旋转物体的旋转是一个重要的科学目标。此外，它还具有广泛的范围。在消费电子、飞机、惯性导航和天文学中的应用，跨越从宏观尺度（汽车、石油钻探、航空旅行、太空探索、海底导航）到纳米尺度的多个长度尺度（芯片实验室和生物应用）流行的微机电系统 (MEMS) 陀螺仪利用科里奥利力进行旋转传感，体积小、重量轻，非常适合消费电子产品、汽车需求、然而，对于要求更高的汽车、机器人、航空航天和国防应用，MEMS 解决方案并不适合，因为它们包含光学陀螺仪，例如环形激光陀螺仪和光纤陀螺仪。提供了一种替代方案，但信噪比较差，限制了其适用性，特别是在全球定位系统 (GPS) 无效的环境中。此外，这些传统光学陀螺仪不适合小型化。一种新颖的解决方案。对电气、机械和航空航天工程以及天文学和物理学的潜在影响将是巨大的，技术目标自然会与本科生和研究生以及研究人员的教育和推广计划相结合。将要将实验室和课堂的研究与教育相结合。科罗拉多大学博尔德分校推出的在线电气工程硕士学位课程由两位 PI 教授，内容包括关于半导体、激光器和探测器的夏令营。为代表性不足的学生提供电磁学、为代表性不足的学生进行几个工程日演示、为电气工程女性学生团体提供建议以及新授予的国家需求领域研究生援助 (GAANN) 计划该项目中提出的创新概念将在芯片级平台上实现新的性能水平，这将是至关重要的。它特别适用于空间、无人机和其他航空航天应用，其中尺寸、重量和功率是关键因素，传统光学陀螺仪（例如环形激光陀螺仪和光纤陀螺仪）依赖于 Sagnac。影响，虽然这些装置是有效的，但它们受到萨尼亚克效应的弱点以及来自非线性、热波动和反向散射的噪声的限制，其中在相反方向上传播的光束之间会产生相移。使惯性导航系统达到必要的水平，特别是在全球定位系统（GPS）无效的环境中。此外，萨尼亚克效应与路径面积成正比，这给微型设备带来了重大障碍。基于萨尼亚克效应的解决方案将光敏、非线性硫族化物材料与芯片级平台相结合，改变了游戏规则。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持。审查标准。