Folded Micro-Gyroscope With Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Sensing

Tech ID: 20868 / UC Case 2008-125-0

Brief Description

The device/process is an alternative way of achieving a miniature nuclear magnetic resonance magnetometer (NMR) gyroscope. Experimental NMR gyroscopes have been built in the past but all are very large, consume lots of power and require a substantial amount of manual assembly, thus making them expensive to make. Researchers in UCI’s EECS and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed a micro-NMR gyroscope that is fabricated in a parallel batch process on a wafer-level scale allowing for highly cost effective manufacturing.

Full Description

In an NMR gyroscope, the net magnetization of a group of nuclear spins creates an inertial frame of reference. If an angular rate is applied to the gyroscope , the precession rate of the spins, or the Larmor frequency, will appear to be changed when the observed in the rotating coordinate frame so by monitoring this frequency the angular rate can be extracted.

By using diverging beam geometries, a single light source and differential detection, UCI researchers have developed a miniature NMR gyroscope that has the following desirable characteristics:

  1. Parallel fabrication process
  2. Low energy consumption
  3. Highly compact design
  4. Highly manufacturable
  5. Strong signal strength

Suggested uses

Micromachined Inertial Sensors: NAV systems, guidance systems, camera stabilization, anti-roll etc

Advantages

Batch fabrication compatible (mass production), miniaturized, stronger signal strength.

Other Information

Categorized As

Related cases

2008-125-0, 2008-002-1, 2008-002-2

Contact

Doug Crawford / doug.crawford@uci.edu / tel: View Phone Number. Please reference Tech ID #20868.

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