Microoptical Gyros Based on Passive Ring Cavities

Abstract

Optical gyros, such as ring laser gyros and fiber optical gyros, have become a mainstay for strapdown inertial navigation systems due to a number of advantages (larger dynamic range of the measured velocities; high stability of scale factor, insensitivity to acceleration and overload; smaller time readiness and etc.). Despite success in their development, ring laser and fiber optic gyros are unsuitable for using in control systems of small portable devices because of their large size and weight. So now the actual task is miniaturization of optical gyros, or development and research of microoptical gyros.During the last decade the main activities in the area of developing the microoptical gyro were concentrated on the scheme of device, based on the use of passive ring single-mode cavities, which are usually produced with the use of planar integral optical technologies.Whispering gallery modes resonators can be also used as the gyro sensitive element instead of planar single-mode resonator. This is due to their following properties: highest optical quality factors, small eigenmodes volume, compactness and relative ease of fabrication. In this work we consider effects arising in the whispering gallery modes resonator during its rotation and possible ways of their application as sensing element of microoptical gyro.