Integrated optical rotation rate sensor and method for sensing rotation rate

摘要

Methods and apparatus are provided for a low cost optical gyro using thin film waveguides to direct light beams among the components of the gyro. The gyro includes a substrate (16) having an insulator layer, a silicon waveguide (16) formed on the insulator layer, and a resonator (18) coupled to the silicon waveguide and configured to circulate a portion of a first light beam in a first counter-propagating direction and circulate a portion of a second light beam in a second counter-propagating direction. The first silicon waveguide propagates the first and second light beams therethrough. Each of the first and second light beams has a resonance frequency when circulating in the resonator.