Photonic Integrated Gyroscope for Enhanced On-Chip Navigation (PIGEON)

Chip-based gyroscopes can be a scalable solution to the problem of equipping small space vehicles within our distributed national defense network with the hardware needed for accurate navigation. The large size, weight, and power (SWaP) of conventional gyroscopes has greatly limited the proliferation of this technology in space. To overcome this challenge, Physical Sciences, Inc. (PSI) and the University of New Mexico will develop a compact, low-power, and high-sensitivity gyroscope based on integrated photonics. To achieve high performance at low SWaP, PSIÆs Photonic Integrated Gyroscope for Enhanced On-chip Navigation (PIGEON) platform will combine advances in integrated photonics with operation near an exceptional point for enhanced sensitivity in measuring low rotational rates.