Solid state ring laser gyroscope having a primary cavity and a pumping cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907966-B2
Application number	US-201916444038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Jun 18, 2019
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A ring laser gyroscope is provided. A light source is configured to generate light of a first wavelength. A plurality primary cavity mirrors are configured to route light of a second wavelength around a primary cavity to a readout device. One primary cavity mirror of the plurality of primary cavity mirrors includes a gain medium. The pumping mirror and the one primary cavity mirror including the gain medium is positioned and configured to reflect the light of the first wavelength back and forth in a pumping cavity through the gain medium, wherein the light of the first wavelength stimulates the gain medium to generate the light of the second wavelength that are reflected around the primary cavity to the readout device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ring laser gyroscope comprising:
a light source configured to generate light of a first wavelength;
a plurality primary cavity mirrors configured to route light of a second wavelength around a primary cavity to a readout device, one primary cavity mirror of the plurality of primary cavity mirrors including a gain medium; and
a pumping mirror, the pumping mirror and the one primary cavity mirror including the gain medium positioned and configured to reflect the light of the first wavelength back and forth in a pumping cavity through the gain medium, wherein the light of the first wavelength stimulates the gain medium to generate the light of the second wavelength that are reflected around the primary cavity to the readout device.

2. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the pumping cavity is located within an outline of the primary cavity defined by a closed loop pathway for the light of the second wavelength reflected around the primary cavity.

3. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the gain medium includes neodymium.

4. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the gain medium includes dopants of at least one of cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu).

5. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the gain medium includes a layer of gain medium with a glassy host material.

6. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 5 , wherein the glassy host material includes at least one of silica, titania, tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), zirconia (ZrO 2 ), silicate glasses, phosphate glasses, fluorosilicate glasses and non-oxide glasses such as fluoride glasses.

7. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein a number of primary cavity mirrors is at least three.

8. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the gain medium is a layer of rare-earth doped gain medium that is at least two wavelengths thick.

9. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the one primary cavity mirror of the plurality of primary cavity mirrors including the gain medium further comprises:
a first portion configured to reflect the light of the first wavelength; and
a second portion configured to reflect the light of the second wavelength.

10. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , wherein the plurality primary cavity mirrors include a measurement mirror that is configured to allow at least portions of the light of the second wavelength to pass through to the readout device.

11. The ring laser gyroscope of claim 1 , further comprising a processing unit communicatively coupled to the readout device, the processing unit configured to determine angular motion based on an output of the readout device.

12. An enhanced optical solid state pumping system, the system comprising:
a light source configured to generate light of a first wavelength;
a plurality of primary cavity mirrors configured to route light of a second wavelength through a primary cavity, one primary cavity mirror of the plurality of primary cavity mirrors including,
a gain medium,
a first portion configured to reflect the light of the first wavelength, and
a second portion configured to reflect the light of the second wavelength; and

a pumping mirror, the pumping mirror and the one primary cavity mirror including the gain medium being positioned and configured to reflect the light of the first wavelength back and forth in a pumping cavity, wherein the light of the first wavelength stimulate the gain medium to generate the light of the second wavelength that are routed through the primary cavity.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the pumping cavity is located within an outline of the primary cavity defined by a closed loop pathway for the light of the second wavelength reflected around the primary cavity.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the gain medium is a layer of rare-earth doped gain medium that is at least two wavelengths thick.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the gain medium includes dopants of at least one of cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu).

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the gain medium includes at least one glassy host material that includes at least one of silica, titania, tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), zirconia (ZrO 2 ), silicate glasses, phosphate glasses, fluorosilicate glasses and non-oxide glasses such as fluoride glasses.

17. A method of operating a laser ring gyroscope, the method comprising:
directing light of a first wavelength into a pumping cavity that includes at pumping mirror and first primary mirror, wherein the pumping mirror and the first primary mirror are configured and positioned to reflect the light of the first wavelength back and forth;
stimulating a gain medium associated with the first primary mirror with the light of the first wavelength to generate light of a second wavelength;
directing the generated light of the second wavelength around a primary cavity in opposite directions with at least the first primary mirror;
reading at least portions of the light of the second wavelength passing through a measurement mirror in the primary cavity; and
determining rotation based on the read light of the second wavelengths.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the pumping cavity is positioned within an outline of the primary cavity defined by a closed loop pathway for the light of the second wavelength reflected around the primary cavity.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the generated light of the second wavelength around the primary cavity in opposite directions with at least the first primary mirror further comprises:
reflecting the light of the second wavelength off of a first portion of the first primary mirror configured to reflect the light of the second wavelength.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein directing the light of the first wavelength into the pumping cavity further comprises:
directing the light of the first wavelength through the pumping mirror.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Fritz Bernard
• Touchberry Alan Bruce
• Marta Teresa

Classifications

• G01C19/661 Primary

  details · CPC title

• H01S3/1611

  neodymium · CPC title

• H01S3/094084

  with pump light recycling, i.e. with reinjection of the unused pump light, e.g. by reflectors or circulators · CPC title

• H01S3/0621

  Coatings on the end-faces, e.g. input/output surfaces of the laser light · CPC title

• H01S3/17

  amorphous, e.g. glass · CPC title