Date Thesis Awarded

5-2016

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Science (BS)

Department

Physics

Advisor

Eugeniy E. Mikhailov

Committee Members

Henry Krakauer

Gunter Luepke

Abstract

Optical gyroscopes use Sagnac interferometry to make precise measurements of angular velocity. In- creased gyroscope sensitivity will allow for more accurate control of aerospace systems and allow for more precise measurements of the Earth's rotation. Severalfold improvements to optical gyroscope sensitivity were predicted for fast light regimes (n_g < 1). We evaluated the feasibility of these improvements in the N-bar dual pump scheme in ⁸⁷Rb vapor. We were able to modify the stimulated gyroscope response via tuning the experimental parameters. Gyroscope sensitivity was shown to be dependent on several parameters including pump power, pump detuning, and vapor density.

Recommended Citation

Wolfe, Owen R., "Improving Optical Gyroscope Sensitivity Using a Fast Light Regime" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 968.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/968