Optical-mechanical vibrating beam accelerometer
First Claim
1. A system configured to:
- couple one or more lasers into optical resonance with one or more opto-mechanically active (OMA) anchors suspending a proof mass in an accelerometer;
lock frequencies of the one or more lasers to one or more optical resonances of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, resulting in a modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors;
demodulate a photocurrent generated by a photodiode that detects the modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors to detect at least one of an amplitude or a phase of the modulated laser;
lock a frequency of the modulated laser to dynamically track instantaneous resonance frequencies of one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors through changes to at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser induced by the coupling of the modulated laser to the mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; and
measure an acceleration of the accelerometer based at least in part on the instantaneous resonance frequencies of the one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, as dynamically tracked through the changes to the at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, devices, techniques, and methods are disclosed for an opto-mechanical vibrating beam accelerometer. In one example, a system is configured to couple a laser into optical resonance with opto-mechanically active (OMA) anchors suspending a proof mass; lock frequencies of the laser to optical resonances of the OMA anchors, resulting in a modulated laser coupled with the OMA anchors; demodulate a photocurrent that detects the modulated laser coupled with the OMA anchors to detect at least an amplitude or a phase of the modulated laser; lock a frequency of the modulated laser to dynamically track instantaneous resonance frequencies of mechanical modes of the OMA anchors through changes to the amplitude or phase of the modulated laser induced by coupling of the modulated laser to the OMA anchors; and measure an acceleration based on instantaneous resonance frequencies of the OMA anchors through changes to the amplitude or phase of the modulated laser.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system configured to:
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couple one or more lasers into optical resonance with one or more opto-mechanically active (OMA) anchors suspending a proof mass in an accelerometer; lock frequencies of the one or more lasers to one or more optical resonances of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, resulting in a modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; demodulate a photocurrent generated by a photodiode that detects the modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors to detect at least one of an amplitude or a phase of the modulated laser; lock a frequency of the modulated laser to dynamically track instantaneous resonance frequencies of one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors through changes to at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser induced by the coupling of the modulated laser to the mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; and measure an acceleration of the accelerometer based at least in part on the instantaneous resonance frequencies of the one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, as dynamically tracked through the changes to the at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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coupling one or more lasers into optical resonance with one or more opto-mechanically active (OMA) anchors suspending a proof mass in an accelerometer; locking frequencies of the one or more lasers to one or more optical resonances of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, resulting in a modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; demodulating a photocurrent generated by a photodiode that detects the modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors to detect at least one of an amplitude or a phase of the modulated laser; locking a frequency of the modulated laser to dynamically track instantaneous resonance frequencies of one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors through changes to at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser induced by the coupling of the modulated laser to the mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; and measuring an acceleration of the accelerometer based at least in part on the instantaneous resonance frequencies of the one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, as dynamically tracked through the changes to the at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A device comprising:
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means for coupling one or more lasers into optical resonance with one or more opto-mechanically active (OMA) anchors suspending a proof mass in an accelerometer; means for locking frequencies of the one or more lasers to one or more optical resonances of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, resulting in a modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; means for demodulating a photocurrent generated by a photodiode that detects the modulated laser coupled with the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors to detect at least one of an amplitude or a phase of the modulated laser; means for locking a frequency of the modulated laser to dynamically track instantaneous resonance frequencies of one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors through changes to at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser induced by the coupling of the modulated laser to the mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors; and means for measuring an acceleration of the accelerometer based at least in part on the instantaneous resonance frequencies of the one or more mechanical modes of the one or more opto-mechanically active anchors, as dynamically tracked through the changes to the at least one of the amplitude or the phase of the modulated laser. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification