Bonn 2025 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 8: Laser Systems – Optical Methods (joint session K/Q)

Q 8.3: Talk

Monday, March 10, 2025, 11:45–12:00, HS XI ITW

Advancements in large ring laser gyroscopes for geodesy and seismology — •Jannik Zenner¹, Andreas Brotzer², Heiner Igel², Karl Ulrich Schreiber^3,4, and Simon Stellmer¹ — ¹Physikalisches Institut, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany — ²Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany — ³Research Unit Satellite Geodesy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany — ⁴School of Physical Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

This winter marks the 100 year anniversary of the Michelson-Gale-Pearson experiment, the first interferometric measurement of Earth’s rotation. Ring laser gyroscopes have matured considerably and are now able to continuously monitor Earth’s rotation rate at a 10⁻⁸ level. This opens the possibility to detect subtle earth rotation variations driven by diverse geophysical processes across a wide spectrum of frequencies, which have traditionally only been detected by astronomical techniques. We will highlight the technological advancements in ring laser technology and future perspectives.

Keywords: ring laser; gyroscope; geodesy; seismology; rotation