Frame Micro-Optoelectromechanical Angular Velocity Transducer with Optical Readout Units Based on the Optical Tunneling Effect

The article proposes a model of a frame micro-optoelectromechanical angular velocity transducer with electrostatic excitation of primary oscillations. The transducer comprises optical readout units based on the optical tunnel effect to perform a precision optical reading of submicrometer movements of the sensing element. The linear region of the function of the working gap converting into optical power was determined after an experimental investigation of the optical reading unit. Two channels for reading optical signals were used to measure the amplitude of the sensing element’s secondary vibrations (several hundreds of nanometers). The parameters of elastic suspensions were determined to ensure the secondary movement of the sensing element in the range of optical readout units with high sensitivity. The parameters of the proposed transducer and the nonlinearity of the transformation function in the range of measured angular velocities were estimated. The proposed micro-optoelectromechanical transducer can effectively measure the angular velocities of moving objects with high sensitivity.