Advances in photonic integrated circuit-based optical gyroscopes towards low-cost, high-precision inertial measurement units

Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) microchip-based optical gyroscopes continue to develop as promising contenders for use in high-precision Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) applications. With the advancement in heterogeneous materials integration, PIC chip-based gyroscopes can offer IMUs with much better SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) characteristics in comparison to the more costly Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) units. OSCPS Motion Sensing Inc. (d.b.a. OSCP) has designed and developed patented photonic chips for use in optical gyroscopes, with both interferometric spiral-based and resonant ring-based PIC microchips exploiting the Sagnac effect. The electro-optical performance of the PIC chip-based gyroscope has been shown to be competitive with tactical-grade FOGs. In this paper, we report on a Thin Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN)-based phase modulator PIC chip as a viable candidate for an all-chip photonic gyroscope, providing design features, and characterization of Vπ, as well as the measured modulation frequency. Given these characteristics, the optical gyroscope module has been shown to be a viable candidate for high-precision gyroscopes for autonomous vehicle, drone, and industrial robotics applications.