Patent classifications
G01C19/722
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING POLARIZATION-RELATED BIAS ERRORS IN RFOGS
Systems and methods for reducing polarization-related bias errors in RFOGS are described herein. In certain implementations, an RFOG system includes a fiber optic resonator, one or more laser sources, wherein light from the laser sources launches first and second optical beams into the fiber optic resonator in opposite directions, and an electro-optically tunable devices in the resonator path configured to modulate the phase difference between polarization components in the first and second optical beams as the optical beams propagate within the fiber optic resonator. The system further includes at least one photodetector, wherein the polarization components of the first and second optical beams are incident on the photodetector, wherein the at least one photodetector provides an electrical signal, and at least one processing unit configured to receive the electrical signal and calculate a rotation rate for the RFOG and provide a drive signal for the electro-optically tunable device.
Method for producing an optical fiber coil, optical fiber coil and optical fiber interferometer
Disclosed is a method for producing an optical fiber coil including the following steps: a. symmetrical winding of an optical fiber around a shaft, the winding forming a pattern including a same number N of layers of each half of the optical fiber, one layer including a set of turns of optical fiber and spaces between adjacent turns, the winding forming a sectored arrangement including a regular stacking area including at least one continuous sealing surface between two layers of adjacent turns, and an overlap area where portions of optical fiber linking different turns cross each other; b. infiltration of a glue through an external surface of the overlap area in such a way that the glue infiltrates into the spaces located between adjacent turns in the regular stacking area.
RESONANT FIBER OPTIC GYROSCOPE WITH HOLLOW CORE FIBER
A resonant fiber optic gyroscope comprises: a ring resonator including a fiber coil fabricated from a first type of hollow core fiber; a light source to produce at least two light beams, wherein a first light beam is configured to travel in a clockwise direction in the ring resonator and a second light beam is configured to travel in a counterclockwise direction in the ring resonator; a filter resonator assembly coupled between the light source and the ring resonator including: at least two short pieces of optical fiber shorter in length than the fiber coil, the at least two short pieces of optical fiber fabricated from the first type of hollow core fiber; and wherein prior to the beams entering the ring resonator, a plurality of reflective devices are configured to condition the beams such that they excite the fundamental mode of the hollow core fiber within the ring resonator.
RESONATOR OPTICAL GYROSCOPE WITH DIMINISHED BIAS ERROR
Techniques are provided for diminishing bias error, in a resonator optical gyroscope, due to an undesired, parasitic optical mode which is orthogonal to a desired optical mode. Energy levels of the undesired, parasitic mode can be diminished utilizing polarizing beam splitters each of which suppresses energy of the undesired, parasitic mode of a clockwise or a counterclockwise optical signal more than energy of the desired mode of the CW optical signal. Optionally, one or more components of a travelling wave resonator system are configured to suppress energy of the undesired, parasitic mode of a clockwise and/or a counterclockwise optical signal more than energy of the desired mode of the respective optical signal(s). Optionally, the desired optical mode is either a transverse magnetic (TM) mode or a transverse electric (TE) mode, and the undesired, parasitic optical mode is respectively the TE mode or the TM mode.
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.
HOLLOW CORE FIBER PIGTAIL SYSTEM AND METHOD
An interface for a hollow core fiber is provided that facilitates the direct pigtailing of the hollow core fiber to a port on an electro-optic device. The interface includes an angled face that attaches to the electronic device at an angle that minimizes optical power loss as light propagates from the electronic device to the hollow core fiber.
PHOTONICS GYROSCOPE WITH BROADBAND LIGHT SOURCE
A photonics gyroscope comprises a light source on a photonics chip that emits a broadband beam; a waveguide resonator; a reflective component; first and second detectors, the second detector coupled to the source; a RIN servo loop coupled between the second detector and the source; and a rate calculation unit. The beam is directed into the resonator such that it propagates in a CCW direction. A portion of the CCW beam is coupled out of the resonator toward the reflective component and reflected back as a reflected beam that is coupled into the resonator such that the reflected beam propagates in a CW direction. The CW beam is coupled out of the resonator to the first detector, which detects a resonance frequency shift between the CW and CCW beams. The RIN servo loop stabilizes an intensity of the beam such that bias error and noise is reduced.
ROTATION SENSOR, ROTATION SENSING METHOD, AND APPLICATIONS
A chip-scale ultrasensitive ring laser gyroscope that utilizes the physics of exceptional points. By exploiting the properties of such non-Hermitian degeneracies, the rotation-induced frequency splitting becomes proportional to the square root of the gyration speed (.sup.1/2), thus enhancing the sensitivity to low angular rotations by orders of magnitudes. At its maximum sensitivity limit, the measurable spectral splitting is independent of the radius of the cavity rings involved. Binary and ternary systems and associated methods are described.
Sagnac-ring fiber-optic interferometric system with Rayleigh length spaced polarizer
Disclosed is an optical fiber interferometric system including a light source (1), a fiber optic coil (8), a coil splitter (3), a photodetector (2), and a polarization filtering unit. According to an embodiment, the polarization filtering unit includes a first waveguide polarizer (51), at least one second thin-plate polarizer (52) and an optical waveguide section (12), the at least one second polarizer (52) being disposed in the Rayleigh zone between a first waveguide end (21) of the first polarizer (51) and a second waveguide end (22) of the optical waveguide section (12).
MODULATION FOR THERMAL STABILITY IN RESONATOR FIBER OPTIC GYROSCOPE (RFOG)
A method for a resonant fiber optic gyroscope is provided. The method includes locking a frequency of a light wave from a master laser to a resonant frequency of a fiber optic resonator; phase locking a first slave laser to the frequency of the master laser at a first offset frequency; combining the light wave from the master laser with a light wave from the first slave laser; launching the combined light wave in the clockwise (CW) direction in the fiber optic resonator; and prior to combining the light wave from the master laser and the light wave from the first slave laser, shifting the frequency of the light wave from the master laser to avoid interference with a signal produced by pick-up in the first slave laser, that includes a light wave at the frequency of the light wave from the master laser.