Acousto-Optic Gyroscope (AOG)
We have developed a rotation sensor gyroscope based on the acousto-optic effect. The gyroscope components are integrated on a Lithium Niobate Over Insulator (LNOI) substrate, because it is an unique platform that exhibits exceptional acoustic as well as photonic properties. We are the first ones to integrate acoustics and photonics on such substrate, which required the development of a new fabrication process and the design of novel components. Besides, we are the first ones to demonstrate acousto-optic modulator on arsenic trisulfide (As2S3) and lithium niobate (LN) hybrid platform which can avail strong electromechanical and electrooptic properties of LN and strong elasto-optic properties of As2S3.
Acousto-Optical Phased Array (A-OPA)
Continuous development of advanced optical interfaces has made possible the deployment of sophisticated hardware for virtual, augmented and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR), self-driving cars and artificial intelligence (AI). At the heart of the hardware that has fueled some of this transformation is the optical phased array (OPA). The OPA – a device used to steer light through manipulating the optical phases of individual beams by means of tunable elements – is one of the main components behind these optical interfaces. A bottleneck to the insertion of OPA into miniaturized/portable devices untethered from power sources (or rarely recharged) is the power consumption of the tunable elements that enable light steering. The knowledge and experience we have earned from the development of acousto-optic gyroscope, is being utilized to develope an A-OPA.
