A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprises an optical directional coupler comprising: a first waveguide having a first and a second end, wherein a light beam is introduced into the first end; a second waveguide having a third and a fourth end, wherein the light beam is evanescently coupled between the two waveguides in the central region; a first photodetector to detect first optical power in the light beam at the second end; and a second photodetector to detect second optical power in the light beam at the fourth end; a vibrating proof mass adjacent to the coupler in a first direction from the coupler, wherein when inertial forces are applied to the MEMS device in a second direction, the proof mass moves in the first direction; a processor to determine the displacement of the proof mass from the coupler as a function of the first and the second optical power.

A bidirectional optical-carrying microwave resonance system based on a circulator structure and a method for detecting angular velocity by said system. A high-stability optical-carrying microwave of which polarization states in forward and reverse directions are perpendicular is generated in an optical fiber ring by utilizing a regenerative mold locking technology, a cavity length control technology, and a polarization state separation technology, and the optical-carrying microwave is used for measuring a rotational angular velocity. The circulator structure is adopted and the bidirectional optical-carrying microwave resonance is achieved by means of a bidirectional regenerative mode locking technology. A reciprocal bidirectional optical-carrying microwave resonance system is achieved on the basis of a non-reciprocal error elimination technology of a wide-spectrum optical interferometer. The polarization state separation technology is adopted to achieve dual-wavelength separation of optical signals and the perpendicular polarization state is adopted for opposite transmission in a sensitive ring, so that the detection capability of the sensitive ring is improved. The cavity length control technology is adopted to lock a microwave oscillation frequency in one direction to a high-stability standard-time reference source, so that a relative cavity length of an optical resonant cavity is stabilized. The system has the characteristics of high practicability, high measurement precision and the like.

An acousto-optic waveguide device comprises a substrate comprising a first material having a first refractive index and a first acoustic velocity; a cladding layer over the substrate, the cladding layer comprising a second material having a second refractive index that is distinct from the first refractive index, the second material having a second acoustic velocity that is distinct from the first acoustic velocity; and an optical core surrounded by the cladding layer, the optical core comprising a third material having a third refractive index that is higher that the first refractive index and the second refractive index, the third material having a third acoustic velocity that is distinct from the first acoustic velocity and the second acoustic velocity. The cladding layer that surrounds the optical core has a thickness configured to substantially confine acoustic waves to the cladding layer when an optical signal propagates through the optical core.

An acousto-optic waveguide device comprises a substrate comprising a first material having a first refractive index and a first acoustic velocity; a cladding layer over the substrate, the cladding layer comprising a second material having a second refractive index that is distinct from the first refractive index, the second material having a second acoustic velocity that is distinct from the first acoustic velocity; and an optical core surrounded by the cladding layer, the optical core comprising a third material having a third refractive index that is higher that the first refractive index and the second refractive index, the third material having a third acoustic velocity that is distinct from the first acoustic velocity and the second acoustic velocity. The cladding layer that surrounds the optical core has a thickness configured to substantially confine acoustic waves to the cladding layer when an optical signal propagates through the optical core.

A resonant fiber optic gyroscope comprises: a ring resonator including a fiber coil fabricated from a first type of hollow core fiber; a light source to produce at least two light beams, wherein a first light beam is configured to travel in a clockwise direction in the ring resonator and a second light beam is configured to travel in a counterclockwise direction in the ring resonator; a filter resonator assembly coupled between the light source and the ring resonator including: at least two short pieces of optical fiber shorter in length than the fiber coil, the at least two short pieces of optical fiber fabricated from the first type of hollow core fiber; and wherein prior to the beams entering the ring resonator, a plurality of reflective devices are configured to condition the beams such that they excite the fundamental mode of the hollow core fiber within the ring resonator.

A method is provided. The method comprises: receiving a first optical signal and a second optical signal; injecting the first optical signal into an optical resonator so that the first optical signal propagates in a first direction through the optical resonator; injecting the second optical signal into the optical resonator so that the second optical signal propagates in a second direction through the optical resonator, which is opposite to the first direction; filtering an optical signal propagating in the first direction of the optical resonator with a first common polarizer having the first polarization; and filtering an optical signal propagating in the second direction of the optical resonator with the first common polarizer.

Systems and methods for end pumped laser mirror stack assemblies are provided. In one embodiment, an end pump mirror stack assembly for a laser resonator comprises: a pump light injection layer applied to a transparent substrate, the pump light injection layer comprising at least one light generating optical emitter embedded within the pump light injection layer, wherein the pump light injection layer is configured to transmit a pump light having a first wavelength into the substrate; a multilayer thin-film mirror stack coupled to the transparent substrate; a lasing material layer coupled transparent substrate and positioned to receive the pump light, wherein the lasing material layer is doped with a dopant that generates a fluorescent light output at a second frequency when exposed to the pump light; and an antireflective coating applied to the substrate, the first anti-reflective coating configured to pass light of the first wavelength.

The disclosed structures and methods are directed to a chip for an optical gyroscope and methods of manufacturing the chip for the optical gyroscope. The chip comprises a substrate, a waveguide having a first waveguide cladding layer and a waveguide core; and a ring resonator having a first ring cladding layer and a ring resonator core attached to the first ring cladding layer. A side wall of the ring resonator core forms an obtuse angle with an upper surface of the substrate. The method comprises etching a ring groove and a waveguide groove; placing the optical fiber ring into the ring groove and the optical fiber waveguide into the waveguide groove. The method further comprising splicing two ends of an optical fiber; annealing the ring junction of the optical fiber ring; and attaching the optical fiber waveguide to the waveguide groove and the optical fiber ring into the ring groove.

An optical gyroscope includes, in part, an optical switch, a pair of optical rings and a pair of photodetectors. The optical switch supplies a laser beam. The first optical ring delivers a first portion of the beam in a clockwise direction during the first half of a period, and a first portion of the beam in a counter clockwise direction during the second half of the period. The second optical ring delivers a second portion of the beam in a counter clockwise direction during the first half of the period, and a second portion of the beam in a clockwise direction during the second half of the period. The first photodetector receives the beams delivered by the first and second optical rings during the first half of the period. The second photodetector receives the beams delivered by the first and second optical rings during the second half of the period.

A fiber management assembly for a multi-axis fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) includes a mounting block. The mounting block includes an integrated optical circuit (IOC) mounting feature configured to permit mounting thereon an IOC. The mounting block further includes coil mounting features configured to permit mounting at least two optical fiber coils at the mounting block with the at least two fiber coils aligned in substantially different directions in three-dimensional space. The mounting block further includes an exterior surface having at least one substantially exterior, curved zone onto which connecting segments of respective optical fibers between the IOC and respective coils of the at least two optical fiber coils are routed and affixed.