Patent US5123027A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5123027A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Regenerative passive resonator
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corp
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Filing: 1990-06-13
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Granted: 1992-06-16
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Expires: 2010-06-13
Abstract
Abstract In a thin film micro-optic gyroscope (MOG) (10) a waveguide resonator structure (14) has an optical transmission path formed within a surface of a substrate (12). In one embodiment the path includes a predetermined amount of dopant (12a) for providing regenerative gain to radiation of a predetermined wavelength propagating through the path. The dopant is provided at a predetermined concentration and is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the path. By example, the substrate is comprised of neodymium-doped glass. A pump source is optically coupled to the path for exciting the dopant to emit radiation, the pump source providing radiation at a wavelength of approximately one-half of the predetermined wavelength. For the example of neodymium-doped glass the predetermined wavelength is 1.06 microns. The resulting regenerative resonator improves the quality of integrated optic resonators used in the MOG by providing a small amount of gain to the resonator to compensate for the optical signal lost by scattering, radiation and absorption.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony W. Lawrence
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 19:56
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/08; H01S3/081; H01S3/083; G; G01; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/58; G01C19/64; G01C19/72; G01C19/727; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/12004
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope comprising a waveguide resonator structure defining a closed optical path formed within a substrate, source means for providing radiation of a predetermined wavelength, means for coupling the radiation with the closed optical path, and pump source means for exciting an optically excitable dopant material that is distributed in a predetermined concentration along the closed optical path, the dopant material providing regenerative gain to the radiation upon excitation by the pump source means, the dopant concentration being less than an associated lasing threshold concentration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
88 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope comprising a waveguide resonator structure defining a closed optical path formed within a substrate, source means for providing radiation of a predetermined wavelength, means for coupling the radiation with the closed optical path, and pump source means for exciting an optically excitable dopant material that is distributed in a predetermined concentration along the closed optical path, the dopant material providing regenerative gain to the radiation upon excitation by the pump source means, the dopant concentration being less than an associated lasing threshold concentration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope as set forth in claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises neodymium-doped glass having the closed optical path formed therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope as set forth in claim 2 and further comprising pump source means optically coupled to the closed optical path for exciting the dopant, the pump source means providing excitation at a wavelength other than a resonant wavelength of the waveguide resonator structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope as set forth in claim 2 and further comprising pump source means optically coupled to the closed optical path for exciting the dopant, the pump source means providing excitation at a wavelength within a range of wavelengths of approximately 0.5 microns to approximately 0.8 microns.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coupling means includes a plurality of optical couplers and the waveguide resonator structure is operated in a transmission mode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coupling means includes a single optical coupler and the waveguide resonator structure is operated in a reflection mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope as set forth in claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises neodymium-doped glass material having the closed optical path formed therein by an ion-exchange process, the closed optical path having a higher index of refraction than an index of refraction of material outside of the closed optical path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
139 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope comprising a circular waveguide resonator defining a closed optical path formed within a substrate comprising a neodymium-doped glass material, source means for providing radiation of a predetermined wavelength, means for coupling the radiation with the closed optical path, and pump source means for exciting the doped glass material, the neodymium dopant being distributed in a predetermined concentration, the closed optical path having higher index of refraction than an index of refraction of material outside of the closed optical path for confining therein the radiation in two counter propagating radiation beams, the neodymium-doped glass material within the closed optical path providing regenerative gain to the two counterpropagating radiation beams upon excitation by the pump source means, the regenerative gain compensating for waveguide optical losses, the predetermined concentration being less than an associated lasing threshold concentration.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
139 words
A micro-optic thin film gyroscope comprising a circular waveguide resonator defining a closed optical path formed within a substrate comprising a neodymium-doped glass material, source means for providing radiation of a predetermined wavelength, means for coupling the radiation with the closed optical path, and pump source means for exciting the doped glass material, the neodymium dopant being distributed in a predetermined concentration, the closed optical path having higher index of refraction than an index of refraction of material outside of the closed optical path for confining therein the radiation in two counter propagating radiation beams, the neodymium-doped glass material within the closed optical path providing regenerative gain to the two counterpropagating radiation beams upon excitation by the pump source means, the regenerative gain compensating for waveguide optical losses, the predetermined concentration being less than an associated lasing threshold concentration.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
118 words
A regenerative passive resonator, comprising: a circular resonator waveguide formed within a substrate, the resonator waveguide defining a closed optical path for the propagation of radiation around the closed optical path, the propagating radiation having a predetermined wavelength, the resonator waveguide including a deposit of dopant material having a predetermined concentration, the dopant material providing a predetermined amount of regenerative gain to the propagating radiation upon illumination of the dopant material by pumping radiation, the predetermined concentration being less than an associated lasing threshold concentration; source means for providing the propagating radiation; means for illuminating the dopant material with the pumping radiation; and means formed within the substrate for coupling the propagating radiation with the closed optical path.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
118 words
A regenerative passive resonator, comprising: a circular resonator waveguide formed within a substrate, the resonator waveguide defining a closed optical path for the propagation of radiation around the closed optical path, the propagating radiation having a predetermined wavelength, the resonator waveguide including a deposit of dopant material having a predetermined concentration, the dopant material providing a predetermined amount of regenerative gain to the propagating radiation upon illumination of the dopant material by pumping radiation, the predetermined concentration being less than an associated lasing threshold concentration; source means for providing the propagating radiation; means for illuminating the dopant material with the pumping radiation; and means formed within the substrate for coupling the propagating radiation with the closed optical path.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the predetermined wavelength is approximately 1.06 microns.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the dopant material comprises a rare earth element.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 11 wherein the dopant material is distributed uniformly within the substrate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 12 wherein the dopant material is neodymium.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 11 wherein the dopant material is distributed along the closed optical path.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 14 wherein the dopant material is neodymium.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the pumping radiation has a wavelength other than a resonant wavelength of the resonator waveguide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 16 wherein the pumping radiation has a wavelength within a range of wavelengths of approximately 0.5 microns to approximately 0.8 microns.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the coupling means conveys the pumping radiation to the resonator waveguide.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the illuminating means is a laser diode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the illuminating means uniformly illuminates the resonator waveguide with the pumping radiation.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the coupling means comprises a plurality of optical couplers, the resonator operating in a transmission mode.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
A regenerative passive resonator as set forth in claim 9 wherein the coupling means consists of an optical coupler, the resonator operating in a reflection mode.
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