Chalcogenide-based nonlinear optical gyroscope

该项目的目标是一种超灵敏、高性能的芯片级光学陀螺，它利用材料的非线性和光敏性来提高性能。测量旋转物体的自转是一项重要的科学目标。此外，它在消费电子、飞机、惯性导航和天文学中有广泛的应用，跨越从宏观尺度(汽车、石油钻探、航空旅行、空间探索、潜艇导航)到纳米尺度(芯片实验室和生物应用)的多个长度尺度。流行的微型机电系统(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、汽车需求和医疗器械。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，因为它们包含运动部件。光学陀螺仪如环形激光陀螺仪和光纤陀螺仪提供了一种替代方案，但信噪比较低，限制了它们的应用，特别是在全球定位系统(GPS)无效的环境中。此外，这些传统的光学陀螺仪不适合小型化。在这个提案中，我们提供了一个新的解决方案。这对电气、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。技术目标自然与教育和推广计划相结合。为本科生和研究生以及研究人员提供的跨学科研究机会将在实验室和课堂上将研究与教育结合起来。科罗拉多博尔德大学的在线电气工程硕士学位正在推出两个PI教授的半导体、激光和探测器的特色课程。外展活动包括为人数不足的学生举办电磁学夏令营，为人数不足的学生举行几个工程日的演示，为电气工程领域的女性学生团体提供建议，以及新授予的国家需要领域研究生援助(GAANN)计划，该计划与科罗拉多博尔德大学的科学与工程领域女性组织和工程女性协会等几个女性团体相关联。该项目中提出的创新概念将使芯片级平台的性能达到新的水平，这对在GPS被拒绝的环境中导航至关重要。它特别适合空间、无人机和其他航空航天应用，在这些应用中，尺寸、重量和功率是关键因素。传统的光学陀螺，如环形激光陀螺和光纤陀螺，都依赖于Sagnac效应，即在角度旋转的情况下，产生反向传输的光束之间的相移。虽然这些器件是有效的，但它们受到Sagnac效应的弱点以及来自非线性、热波动和后向散射的噪声的限制。这限制了惯性导航系统在必要水平上的性能，特别是在全球定位系统(GPS)无效的环境中。此外，Sagnac效应与路径面积成正比，这为微型设备制造了巨大的障碍。基于Sagnac效应，我们提出了一种新的解决方案。光敏、非线性硫化物材料和芯片规模平台的结合是游戏规则的改变者。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审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.