Atomic referenced optical accelerometer

• US 9,417,261 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Salit, Kenneth, Salit, Mary, Compton, Robert, Ridley, Jeff A., Nelson, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen
• Application Number:
  US14/162,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20150204899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 735/142.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/006 used for thermal compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/093 by photoelectric pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/12 by alteration of electrical resistance G01P15/0897, G01P15/105 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/131 with electrostatic counterbalancing means

Abstract

In some examples, a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical accelerometer includes a housing comprising an internal chamber that includes a Fabry-Perot cavity and a proof mass affixed to the housing via one or more elastic elements, a light source configured to emit radiation, a first detector configured to receive radiation transmitted through the Fabry-Perot cavity and configured to generate one or more signals that indicate a position of the proof mass. The MEMS optical accelerometer further comprises an atomic wavelength reference and a second detector configured to detect radiation transmitted through the atomic wavelength reference and configured to generate one or more signals that indicate a wavelength of the radiation emitted by the light source, and a servomechanism electrically coupled to the second photo detector and the light source, configured to adjust the light source to maintain the radiation emitted by the light source at approximately a selected wavelength.

Claims

1. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical accelerometer, comprising:

a housing comprising an internal chamber that includes;

a Fabry-Perot cavity, wherein the Fabry-Perot cavity includes a proof mass affixed to the housing via one or more elastic elements; and

a temperature cavity;

a light source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation into the Fabry-Perot cavity;

a first detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation transmitted through or reflected from the Fabry-Perot cavity from the light source and configured to generate one or more signals that indicate a position of the proof mass;

an atomic wavelength reference in optical communication with the light source;

a second detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the atomic wavelength reference and configured to generate one or more signals that indicate a wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light source;

a first servomechanism electrically coupled to the second detector and the light source, wherein the servomechanism is configured to adjust the light source to maintain the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light source at approximately a selected wavelength;

a third detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the temperature cavity from the light source and configured to generate one or more signals that indicate a temperature of the internal chamber;

one or more heating elements in thermal contact with the housing; and

a second servomechanism configured to receive the one or more signals that indicate the temperature of the internal chamber and configured to control the one or more heating elements to control the temperature of the internal chamber.

2. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the selected wavelength is approximately a resonance wavelength of the atomic wavelength reference, and wherein the atomic wavelength reference is one of a rubidium (Rb) vapor cell or a cesium (Cs) vapor cell.

3. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the light source is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

4. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more Wheatstone bridges, wherein resistance in the one or more Wheatstone bridges is related to temperature of at least part of the MEMS optical accelerometer.

5. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more conductive plates configured to apply an electrostatic field to approximately maintain the proof mass in a neutral position.

6. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 5, further comprising:

an electrostatic actuator that receives the one or more signals that indicate the position of the proof mass and is configured to provide a voltage to the one or more conductive plates in order to maintain the position of the proof mass in approximately the neutral position.

7. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the second detector is a ring-shaped photo diode, the MEMS optical accelerometer further comprising:

a partially reflecting collimation lens located between the atomic wavelength reference and the Fabry-Perot cavity, wherein the electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the atomic wavelength reference is reflected from the collimation lens.

8. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the proof mass further comprises a recess, the MEMS optical accelerometer further comprising:

one or more conductive plates positioned around the proof mass;

a fourth detector in line with the recess and configured to receive electromagnetic radiation transmitted through a cavity formed by the recess and generate one or more signals indicative of a differential measurement of a position of the proof mass; and

an electrostatic actuator configured to receive the one or more signals indicative of the differential measurement of the position of the proof mass and provide a voltage to the one or more conductive plates positioned around the proof mass in order to maintain the position of the proof mass in approximately a neutral position.

9. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a vacuum package that houses the housing, the light source, the first detector, the atomic wavelength reference, and the second detector in a vacuum chamber.

18. The MEMS optical accelerometer of claim 1, wherein to control the temperature of the internal chamber, the second servomechanism is further configured to maintain the internal temperature at approximately a selected temperature.

10. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical accelerometer system, comprising:

a vacuum package comprising;

a frame comprising an internal chamber that includes;

a Fabry-Perot cavity, wherein the Fabry-Perot cavity includes a proof mass affixed to the frame via one or more elastic elements; and

a temperature cavity;

a light source configured to emit electromagnetic radiation into the Fabry-Perot cavity;

a first detector configured to receive electromagnetic radiation transmitted through or reflected from the Fabry-Perot cavity from the light source and generate one or more signals that indicate a position of the proof mass;

an atomic wavelength reference in optical communication with the light source; and

a second detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the atomic wavelength reference and generate one or more signals that indicate a wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light source; and

a first servomechanism electrically coupled to the second detector and the light source through the vacuum package, wherein the servomechanism is configured to adjust the light source to maintain the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light source at approximately a resonance wavelength of the atomic wavelength reference;

a third detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the temperature cavity from the light source and configured to generate one or more signals that indicate a temperature of the internal chamber; and

one or more heating elements in thermal contact with the frame;

a second servomechanism configured to receive the one or more signals that indicate the temperature of the internal chamber and configured to control the one or more heating elements to control the temperature of the internal chamber.

11. The MEMS optical accelerometer system of claim 10, wherein the light source is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), wherein the atomic wavelength reference is one of a rubidium (Rb) vapor cell or a cesium (Cs) vapor cell, wherein the one or more heating elements comprises one or more Wheatstone bridges.

12. The MEMS optical accelerometer system of claim 10, the vacuum package further comprising one or more conductive plates configured to apply an electrostatic field to approximately maintain the proof mass in a neutral position, wherein the MEMS optical accelerometer system further comprises an electrostatic actuator that receives the one or more signals that indicate the position of the proof mass and is configured to provide a voltage to the one or more conductive plates in order to maintain the position of the proof mass in approximately the neutral position.

19. The MEMS optical accelerometer system of claim 10, wherein to control the temperature of the internal chamber, the second servomechanism is further configured to maintain the internal temperature at approximately a selected temperature.

13. A method comprising:

determining a wavelength of light emitted by a light source of a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) optical accelerometer; and

adjusting, by a servomechanism of the MEMS optical accelerometer, the light source to reduce a difference in the wavelength of light emitted by the light source and a wavelength of an atomic wavelength reference of the MEMS optical accelerometer; and

determining a temperature of a cavity of the MEMS optical accelerometer; and

adjusting, based on the temperature of the cavity, one or more heating elements in thermal contact with the cavity to control the temperature of the cavity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a wavelength of light emitted by the light source further comprises:

receiving, by a first photo detector of the MEMS optical accelerometer, reference light, wherein the reference light is emitted light that has been transmitted through the atomic wavelength reference, and

determining a wavelength of the emitted light based on the reference light, and wherein the method further comprises determining the difference in the wavelength of the emitted light and the wavelength of the atomic wavelength reference.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more heating elements comprise one or more resistors, wherein adjusting the one or more heating elements further comprises:

providing a voltage to the one or more resistors based on the temperature of the cavity to maintain the temperature of the cavity at approximately the selected temperature.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a position of a proof mass in the cavity of the MEMS optical accelerometer; and

adjusting the position of the proof mass to maintain the proof mass in a neutral position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the position of the proof mass further comprises:

receiving, by a second photo detector of the MEMS optical accelerometer, electromagnetic radiation from the light source that has transmitted through a cavity partially formed by a recess in the proof mass; and

differentially determining the position of the proof mass based on the electromagnetic radiation received by the second photo detector.