Patent classifications
G01C19/722
PROCESS FLOW FOR FABRICATING INTEGRATED PHOTONICS OPTICAL GYROSCOPES
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to configurations of compact ultra-low loss integrated photonics-based waveguides for optical gyroscope applications, and the methods of fabricating those waveguides for ease of large scale manufacturing. Four main process flows are described: (1) process flow based on a repeated sequence of oxide deposition and anneal; (2) chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP)-based process flow followed by wafer bonding; (3) Damascene process flow followed by oxide deposition and anneal, or wafer bonding; and (4) CMP-based process flows followed by oxide deposition. Any combination of these process flows may be adopted to meet the end goal of fabricating optical gyroscope waveguides in one or more layers on a silicon substrate using standard silicon fabrication technologies.
STIMULATED BRILLOUIN SCATTERING GYROSCOPE
A stimulated Brillouin scattering gyroscope is provided. A pump laser generates continuous wave (CW) energy that travels through at least one bus waveguide to a waveguide resonator. A reflector is positioned within the waveguide resonator. The reflector is configured to pass at least some of the CW energy in a first direction and reflect at least some stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) energy in a second direction. A first detector is in operational communication with the at least one bus waveguide to detect CW energy. An output of the first detector used to at least adjust a pump laser frequency of the pump laser. A second detector is also in operational communication with the at least one bus waveguide. The second detector is used to determine phase shifts in detected SBS energy to determine at least rotation.
INTEGRATED PHOTONICS OPTICAL GYROSCOPES OPTIMIZED FOR AUTONOMOUS TERRESTRIAL AND AERIAL VEHICLES
Novel small-footprint integrated photonics optical gyroscopes disclosed herein can provide ARW in the range of 0.05/Hr or below (e.g. as low as 0.02/Hr), which makes them comparable to fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs) in terms of performance, at a much lower cost. The low bias stability value in the integrated photonics optical gyroscope corresponds to a low bias estimation error (in the range of 1.5/Hr or even lower) that is crucial for safety-critical applications, such as calculating heading for autonomous vehicles, drones, aircrafts etc. The integrated photonics optical gyroscopes may be co-packaged with mechanical gyroscopes into a hybrid inertial measurement unit (IMU) to provide high-precision angular measurement for one or more axes.
FIBER OPTIC GYROSCOPE
Totally six polarization-maintaining optical fibers having the same beat length are arranged at both ends of a single-mode optical fiber and both ends of a single-mode optical fiber coil, respectively. An angle between a principal axis of polarization in a first polarization-maintaining optical fiber and a plane of polarization of linearly polarized light from a light source is 45 degrees. The optical length of each of the six polarization-maintaining optical fibers is larger than a coherent length of the linearly polarized light from the light source. The total of the optical lengths of the six polarization-maintaining optical fibers into which polarization rotation in the process of passing through the single-mode optical fibers is factored is larger than the coherent length of the linearly polarized light from the light source.
RESONATOR FIBER OPTIC GYROSCOPE WITH INTEGRATED PHOTONICS INTERFACE
A resonant fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG) comprises two integrated photonics interfaces coupling the optical resonator coil to the multi-frequency laser source that drives the RFOG; wherein the two integrated photonics interfaces comprise a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer wherein the first waveguide layer comprises two waveguide branches which come together to form a single waveguide branch; the second waveguide layer comprises two waveguide branches which remain separate from each other; and wherein the waveguide structure is configured to match an integrated photonics mode to a fiber mode supported by an optical fiber.
EXTRA THICK ULTRAVIOLET DURABILITY COATING
Systems and methods for embodiments having an extra thick ultraviolet durability coating are described herein. For example, a system may include a laser block assembly. The system may also include a cavity in the laser block assembly. Further, the system may include a plurality of multilayer mirrors in the cavity. In certain embodiments, at least one multilayer mirror of the plurality of multilayer mirrors may include a plurality of alternating layers of a first optical material having a high index of refraction and a second optical material having a first low index of refraction. Additionally, the at least one multilayer mirror may include a multilayer durability coating disposed on the plurality of alternating layers.
FIBER-OPTIC GYROSCOPE (FOG) ASSEMBLY
One example includes a FOG assembly including a spool that includes a flattened portion corresponding to a flange comprising an axial center corresponding to a sensitive axis about which an associated FOG system is configured to measure rotation. The FOG assembly also includes a magnetic shield arranged as a capped concentric cover about the sensitive axis and coupled to the spool and the flange to create a toroidal cavity between the magnetic shield and the flange. A fiber coil is disposed within the toroidal cavity and coupled to the flange. The fiber coil includes an optical fiber which is counter-wound in first and second orientations. The fiber coil has an axial dimension along the sensitive axis that is less than or equal to approximately 160% of a radial width corresponding to a difference between an outer radius and an inner radius of the fiber coil.
Integrated Optical Gyroscope with Noise Cancellation
An optical gyroscope includes, in part, an optical switch, a pair of optical rings and a pair of photodetectors. The optical switch supplies a laser beam. The first optical ring delivers a first portion of the beam in a clockwise direction during the first half of a period, and a first portion of the beam in a counter clockwise direction during the second half of the period. The second optical ring delivers a second portion of the beam in a counter clockwise direction during the first half of the period, and a second portion of the beam in a clockwise direction during the second half of the period. The first photodetector receives the beams delivered by the first and second optical rings during the first half of the period. The second photodetector receives the beams delivered by the first and second optical rings during the second half of the period.
ATOMIC INTERFEROMETRIC GYROSCOPE
A gyroscope includes an atomic beam source to generate an atomic beam in which individual atoms are in the same state, a moving standing light wave generator to generate M moving standing light waves, an interference device to obtain an atomic beam resulting from the interaction between the atomic beam and the M moving standing light waves, a monitor to detect angular velocity by monitoring the atomic beam from the interference device and an accelerometer. The accelerometer acquires information on acceleration applied to the gyroscope and the moving standing light wave generator adjusts the drift velocity of at least M1 moving standing light waves among the M moving standing light waves in response to the acceleration information.
GAIN-COUPLED RESONATOR GYROSCOPE
A gyroscope includes a first optical resonator in optical communication with at least one optical waveguide and a second optical resonator in optical communication with the first optical resonator. One of the first optical resonator and the second optical resonator has a power loss rate L greater than zero and the other of the first optical resonator and the second optical resonator has a power gain rate G greater than zero. The at least one optical waveguide, the first optical resonator, and the second optical resonator are configured to be below lasing threshold. The gyroscope further includes at least one optical detector in optical communication with the at least one optical waveguide, and the at least one optical waveguide is configured to receive, from at least one light source, light having an input power P.sub.in at a frequency .sub.p and to transmit at least a portion of the light having an output power P.sub.out to the at least one optical detector.