Beyond GPS, quantum photonic chips are expected to revolutionize future drone navigation technology

Researchers at the University of Rochester are developing photonic chips that could replace the gyroscopes currently 

used in unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, allowing them to fly in places where GPS signals are jammed or unavailable. 

Using a quantum technology called weak value amplification, the scientists aim to provide the same level of sensitivity 

as bulk optical gyroscopes in a small, handheld photonic chip, potentially changing the way drones navigate.

Jaime Cardenas, an associate professor at the Institute of Optics, has received a new grant from the National Science 

Foundation to develop the chip by 2026. Cardenas said the fiber-optic gyroscopes currently used in state-of-the-art 

drones contain kilometers of fiber spools or have limited dynamic range.

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With funding from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of Rochester are developing photonic 

chips that use a quantum technology called weak value amplification to replace the mechanical gyroscopes used in drones. 

Credit: University of Rochester/J. Adam Fenster

"Right now, gyroscopes require a fundamental tradeoff between sensitivity and stability, between size and weight," 

he said. "As drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and satellites become smaller and more ubiquitous, the need for ultra-small, 

navigation-grade gyroscopes will become critical. State-of-the-art microgyroscopes are compact and rugged, 

but suffer from performance deficiencies that hamper their use in navigation."

Cárdenas believes weak-value amplification offers advantages over traditional methods because it can boost the signal 

of interferometry without the expense of amplifying the noise of multiple techniques. However, previous demonstrations 

of weak-value amplification have required complex laboratory setups and precise alignment; Cárdenas worked to implement 

weak-value amplification on a tiny photonic chip with a high-quality ring resonator.

Cárdenas' collaborators on the project include physicist Andrew Jordan, formerly of the University of Rochester 

and now at Chapman University. Cardenas said he will also work with the University of Rochester’s David T. Kearns 

Center for Leadership and Diversity to expand participation from underrepresented groups by providing research experiences

to high school students in the Rochester City School District to spark their desire for STEM careers.