Optical gyroscopes the size of a grain of rice and with higher precision

Next Big Future  October 10, 2018
Optical gyros have been difficult to scale down because, as they shrink, the signal from their sensors weakens and is then drowned in noise created in part by scattered light. Researchers at Caltech have developed a proof-of-concept device that is capable of detecting phase shifts 30 times smaller than state-of-the-art miniature fibre-optic gyroscopes, despite being 500 times smaller in size. Their approach can enhance the performance of optical gyroscopes by one to two orders of magnitude. Such gyroscopes are great candidates for miniaturization onto nanophotonic platforms…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE