Integrated optical gyroscope using active Long-range surface plasmon-polariton waveguide resonator

Abstract

Optical gyroscopes with high sensitivity are important rotation sensors for inertial navigation systems. Here, we present the concept of integrated resonant optical gyroscope constructed by active long-range surface plasmon-polariton (LRSPP) waveguide resonator. In this gyroscope, LRSPP waveguide doped gain medium is pumped to compensate the propagation loss, which has lower pump noise than that of conventional optical waveguide. Peculiar properties of single-polarization of LRSPP waveguide have been found to significantly reduce the polarization error. The metal layer of LRSPP waveguide is electro-optical multiplexed for suppression of reciprocal noises. It shows a limited sensitivity of ~10−4 deg/h, and a maximum zero drift which is 4 orders of magnitude lower than that constructed by conventional single-mode waveguide.

Fabrication and spectral characterizations of high Q asymmetric resonant cavities

“…Fig. 5(b) shows the coupling efficiency of ARCs and its corresponding microspheres,which is the key factor for the limit sensitivity of ROG [26].The coupling efficiency of ACRs remains around 70% calculated using formula [27], which is the same as microsphere. Thus, compare to the corresponding microsphere, the ARC with deformation degree η¼8% holds the same scale Q-values and coupling efficiency, but a single spectrum peak (fundamental mode).…”

Spontaneous emission noise in long-range surface plasmon polariton waveguide based optical gyroscope

“…shot noise limited sensitivity (SNLS) and spontaneous emission limited sensitivity (SELS). In addition to Ref 13,. the spontaneous emission not only produces an uncertainty on the detection of the light frequency in the gyroscope which results in SELS, but also import a noise with a certain power into the gyroscope system.…”

Long-range higher-order surface-plasmon polaritons

“…The SPPs, whose attractiveness comes from their useful surface propagation, confinement, and wavelength properties, are utilized in a wide variety of applications, such as subwavelength control of light [5,6], nanophotonic devices [7][8][9][10], lasers [11,12], novel materials [13][14][15], and nonlinear interactions [16]. Recent studies have further suggested the existence of entirely new SPP modes, including backward-propagating SPPs similar to fields encountered in negative-index materials at both single boundaries [17] and metallic films [18].…”