Sensor having optical passive ring resonator using sagnac effect
AssigneeBodenseewerk Geratetechnik GmbH
InventorsWalter Bernard, Gotz Geister
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor which makes use of a non-reciprocal optical effect, such as the Sagnac effect has a passive ring resonator defining a closed light path. Light from a broadband light source is coupled to the passive ring resonator by 2.times.2 couplers in a first direction of propagation and a second direction of propagation opposite thereto. The 2.times.2 couplers also couple light out of the passive ring resonator. A 3.times.3 optical coupler is provided, by which light having circulated in said ring resonator in the first direction of propagation is superimposed to light having circulated in the ring resonator in the second direction of propagation to provide interference. The detector is exposed to this interfering light.
Claims11
A sensor making use of a non-reciprocal optical effect and comprising:
- a passive ring resonator defining a closed light path;
- light source means;
- coupler means for coupling light from said light source means into said passive ring resonator in a first direction of propagation and in a second direction of propagation opposite to said first direction of propagation and for coupling light out of said passive ring resonator;
- detector means exposed to light coupled out of said passive ring resonator by said coupler means;
- interferometer means for superimposing light which has circulated in said passive ring resonator in said first direction of propagation, and light which has circulated in said passive ring resonator in said second direction of propagation, and producing interfering light;
- and
- said detector arrangement including a detector exposed to said interfering light;
- wherein said light source means comprises a broadband, incoherent light source emitting a band of light, and
- said passive ring resonator has a resonance frequency lying within said band emitted by said broadband incoherent light source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.