Fiber-optic accelerometer with micro-optical shutter modulation and integrated damping

A single mask, shutter modulated fiber-optic accelerometer with integrated squeeze film damping structures has been fabricated and characterized. Its mass suspended by four beams and containing the structures for squeeze film damping is displaced laterally under acceleration. Vertical shutters at both ends of the mass can move horizontally in the optical path between two self-aligned multimode optical fibers.