About this event

Inertial navigation units (INU) are systems which measure linear acceleration and rotation state in all three axes, thus enabling continuous positioning without requiring an external signal (unlike GPS). To date, almost every commercial plane or vessel is equipped with such a system which complements GPS. Moreover, such systems are essential if no external signal reception is possible (e.g. underwater, below the surface, inside buildings, etc.)

A key element in INU is a rotation measurement component – a Gyroscope. While rotation can be measured in various methods, it is the optical Gyros which provide the best accuracy and sensitivity. Traditionally, optical Gyros employ the Sagnac effect (the phase shift between counter propagating waves in a closed optical path) which is extremely small and depends almost solely on the device footprint.

This property of the Sagnac effect has dictated the research efforts in optical Gyros and focused them on the development of sophisticated methods for phase measurements without attempting to bypass the limitations of the physics.

The developed nano-Gyro attempts just that and employs a new physical effect to measure rotation rate. Instead of detecting phase shifts between counter-propagating waves we measure intensity differences using a device which is designed to enhance rotation induced intensity differences. The new approach allows for better accuracy without the need to enlarge the footprint. In the talk, the new device and the development of its underlying idea will be described, as well as how coincidences and luck may have substantial impact in advanced research.

Biography

Prof. Koby Scheuer is a faculty member in the School of EE, Tel-Aviv University. He received a PhD in EE from the Technion in 2001 after which he served as the chief designer in Lambda Crossing – an optical communication startup company. Between 2003 and 2006 he was a research associate in the California Inst. of Technology after which he joined the department of Physical Electronics in TAU. Prof. Scheuer is the author of more than 60 papers and book chapters as well as 10 patents. His research interests are nano-photonics, optical sensors, optical communications, and plasmonics.

Cost

Free of charge

Poster

Download poster (PDF)

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