GPS Not Working? PhotonicHelps Drones Fly in Weak-Signal Areas

With funding from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Rochester are developing photonic chips that use a quantum technique called weak value amplification to replace the mechanical gyroscopes used in drones, allowing them to fly where GPS signals are blocked or unavailable. A quantum technique called "weak value amplification" is used to replace the mechanical gyroscopes used in drones, allowing them to fly where GPS signals are blocked or unavailable.
Using this quantum technology, scientists aim to provide the same level of sensitivity on a small handheld photonicas a big block of optical gyroscopes, which could transformnavigation.
Jaime Cardenas, an associate professor at the Institute of Optics, has received a new National Science Foundation grant to develop such chips by 2026.
The fiber-optic gyroscopes currently used on state-of-the-art drones contain spools of fiber optic threads that are several kilometers long or have limited dynamic range, Cardenas said.
Today, the sensitivity and stability of a gyroscope must be fundamentally weighed against its size and weight. "As unmanned aircraft, drones and satellites become smaller and more ubiquitous, the need for ultra-compact navigation-grade gyroscopes will become critical. State-of-the-art miniature gyroscopes are compact and robust, but lack performance, which hinders their use in navigation."
According to Cardenas, weak-value amplification offers advantages over traditional methods because it enhances the signal from interferometry without coming at the expense of amplifying several forms of technical noise. However, previous demonstrations of weak-value amplification have required complex laboratory setups and precise calibrations; Cardenas worked to realize weak-value amplification on a microphotonicusing high-quality factor ring resonators.
Cardenas' collaborators on the project include physicist Andrew Jordan, formerly a faculty member at the University of Rochester and now at Chapman U. Cardenas says he will also work with the university's David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups through research experiences with high school students in the Rochester City School District participation and inspire them to aspire to STEM careers.