HIGH-INDEX CONTRAST WAVEGUIDE OPTICAL GYROSCOPE HAVING SEGMENTED PATHS

• US 20100328673A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Incorporated (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Carothers, Daniel N., Odhner, Jefferson E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/460
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/72 with counter-rotating light beams in a passive ring, e.g. fibre laser gyrometers

Abstract

A waveguide optical gyroscope is disclosed. The waveguide optical gyroscope includes a laser, two detectors, a set of couplers and a set of waveguides. The laser generates a light beam. A first waveguide guides the light beam to travel in a first direction, and a second waveguide guides the light beam to travel in a second direction. The first and second waveguides are coupled to several ring waveguides via the couplers. The first detector detects the arrival of the light beam traveling from the first waveguide, and the second detector detects the arrival of the light beam traveling from the second waveguide.

Claims

1. A waveguide optical gyroscope comprising:

a laser for generating a light beam;

a plurality of couplers;

a first waveguide for guiding said light beam to travel in a first direction;

a second waveguide for guiding said light beam to travel in a second direction;

a plurality of ring waveguides coupled to each other and to said first and second waveguides via said plurality of couplers;

a first detector for detecting the arrival of said light beam from said first waveguide; and

a second detector for detecting the arrival of said light beam from said second waveguide.

2. The optical gyroscope of claim 1, wherein the phase difference between said light beam from said first waveguide and said light beam from said second waveguide is 90 degrees.

3. The optical gyroscope of claim 1, wherein one of said couplers optically couples said first waveguide to one of said ring waveguides.

4. The optical gyroscope of claim 3, wherein said one coupler is a 15%-90% coupler.

5. The optical gyroscope of claim 1, wherein one of said couplers optically couples two of said ring waveguides.

6. The optical gyroscope of claim 5, wherein said one coupler is a 90% coupler.