Integrated silicon optomechanical gyroscopes (OMGs)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9482535-B2
Application number	US-201113996669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2011
Priority date	Dec 23, 2011
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A system having an optomechanical gyroscope device. An optomechanical disk acts as an optical ring resonator and a mechanical disk resonator. A drive laser generates an optical drive signal. A drive channel acts as a waveguide for the optical drive signal and includes drive electrodes in a first proximity with respect to the optomechanical disk. The drive electrodes to excite the ring by evanescent coupling. A drive photodetector is configured to receive an output optical signal from the drive channel. A sense laser generates a optical sense signal. A sense channel acts as a waveguide for the optical sense signal and includes sense electrodes in a second proximity with respect to the optomechanical disk. A sense photodetector is configured to receive an output optical signal from the sense channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a silicon substrate;
an optomechanical disk formed in the silicon substrate that acts as an optical ring resonator and a mechanical disk resonator;
a drive laser to generate an optical drive signal;
a drive channel formed as a waveguide in the silicon substrate to act as a waveguide for the optical drive signal, the drive channel comprising drive couplers aligned with a mechanical resonance antinode of the optomechanical disk to excite the optomechanical disk by evanescent coupling, wherein when light from the drive laser is modulated at a mechanical resonance frequency of the optomechanical disk, transduction between the drive couplers and the optomechanical disk causes the optomechanical disk to mechanically resonate in a vibrational mode;
a drive photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and optically coupled to the drive channel waveguide to receive an output optical signal from the drive channel;
a sense laser to generate an optical sense signal;
a sense channel formed as a waveguide in the silicon substrate to act as a waveguide for the optical sense signal, the sense channel comprising sense couplers aligned with a mechanical resonance node of the optomechanical disk for evanescent coupling to the optomechanical disk;
and
a sense photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and optically coupled to the drive channel waveguide to receive an output optical signal from the sense channel to detect a change in the vibrational mode of the optomechanical disk through the evanescent coupling with the sense couplers, the change in the vibrational mode being in proportion to external rotation of the optomechanical disk.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive laser modulates light at the mechanical resonant frequency of the optomechanical disk to drive the disk into vibration by optomechanical forces.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the optomechanical force comprises radiation pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the optomechanical force comprises an optical gradient force.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a modulator formed on the silicon in the drive channel waveguide to modulate the optical drive signal at the mechanical resonant frequency of the optomechanical disk to drive the disk into vibration by optomechanical forces.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive laser is formed in the silicon substrate.

7. A tablet computing device comprising:
a touch screen interface;
a silicon substrate;
an optomechanical disk formed in the silicon substrate that acts as an optical ring resonator and a mechanical disk resonator;
a drive laser to generate an optical drive signal;
a drive channel formed as a waveguide in the silicon substrate to act as a waveguide for the optical drive signal, the drive channel comprising drive couplers aligned with a mechanical resonance antinode of the optomechanical disk to excite the optomechanical disk by evanescent coupling, wherein when light from the drive laser is modulated at a mechanical resonance frequency of the optomechanical disk, transduction between the drive couplers and the optomechanical disk causes the optomechanical disk to mechanically resonate in a vibrational mode;
a drive photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and optically coupled to the drive channel waveguide to receive an output optical signal from the drive channel;
a sense laser to generate an optical sense signal;
a sense channel formed as a waveguide in the silicon substrate to act as a waveguide for the optical sense signal, the sense channel comprising sense couplers aligned with a mechanical resonance node of -the optomechanical disk for evanescent coupling to the optomechanical disk;
a sense photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and optically coupled to the drive channel waveguide to receive an output optical signal from the sense channel to detect a change in the vibrational mode of the optomechanical disk through the evanescent coupling with the sense couplers, the change in the vibrational mode being in proportion to external rotation of the optomechanical disk; and
a processor coupled to monitor the sense photodetector and the drive photodetector, and coupled with the touch screen interface.

8. The tablet of claim 7 wherein the drive laser modulates light at the mechanical resonant frequency of the optomechanical disk to drive the disk into vibration by optomechanical forces.

9. The tablet of claim 8 wherein the optomechanical force comprises radiation pressure.

10. The tablet of claim 8 wherein the optomechanical force comprises an optical gradient force.

11. The tablet of claim 7 further comprising a modulator to modulate the optical drive signal at the mechanical resonant frequency of the optomechanical disk to drive the disk into vibration by optomechanical forces.

12. The tablet of claim 11 wherein the optomechanical force comprises radiation pressure.

13. The tablet of claim 11 wherein the optomechanical force comprises an optical gradient force.

14. A system comprising:
an omnidirectional antenna;
a silicon substrate;
optomechanical disk formed in the silicon substrate that acts as an optical ring resonator and a mechanical disk resonator;
a drive laser to generate an optical drive signal;
a drive channel formed as a waveguide in the silicon substrate to act as a waveguide for the optical drive signal, the drive channel comprising drive couplers aligned with a mechanical resonance antinode of the optomechanical disk to excite the optomechanical disk by evanescent coupling, wherein when light from the drive laser is modulated at a mechanical resonance frequency of the optomechanical disk, transduction between the drive couplers and the optomechanical disk causes the optomechanical disk to mechanically resonate in a vibrational mode;
a drive photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and optically coupled to the drive channel waveguide to receive an output optical signal from the drive channel;
a sense laser to generate an optical sense signal;
a sense channel formed as a waveguide in the silicon substrate to act as a waveguide for the optical sense signal, the sense channel comprising sense couplers aligned with a mechanical resonance node the optomechanical disk for evanescent coupling to the optomechanical disk; and
a sense photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and optically coupled to the drive channel waveguide to receive an output optical signal from the sense channel to detect a change in the vibrational mode of the optomechanical disk through the evanescent coupling with the sense couplers, the change in the vibrational mode being in proportion to external rotation of the optomechanical disk; and
a processor coupled to monitor the sense photodetector and the drive photodetector, and coupled with a touch screen interface.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a touch screen interface.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the drive laser modulates light at the mechanical resonant frequency of the optomechanical disk to drive the disk into vibration by optomechanical forces.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the optomechanical force comprises radiation pressure.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the optomechanical force comprises an optical gradient force.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a modulator formed on the silicon in the drive channel waveguide to modulate the optical drive signal at the mechanical resonant frequency of the op

Assignees

• Heck John
• Rong Haisheng
• Jones Richard
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Heck John
• Rong Haisheng
• Jones Richard

Classifications

• G01C19/661 Primary

  details · CPC title

• G01C19/5684 Primary

  the devices involving a micromechanical structure · CPC title

• G01C19/72

  with counter-rotating light beams in a passive ring, e.g. fibre laser gyrometers · CPC title

• G01C19/5733

  Structural details or topology · CPC title

• G01C19/66 Primary

  Ring laser gyrometers · CPC title