RLG optical noise injector
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorsFrederick Aronowitz, Ludd A. Trozpek
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Abstract
An RLG OPTICAL NOISE INJECTOR places a random signal on a PZT driving one mirror controlling the optical path length (OPL) of a ring laser gyro (RLG) and the negative of the signal on a PZT driving a second mirror controlling the OPL. The OPL is therefore maintained constant while injecting random noise into the phase of the counterpropagating beams to avoid dynamic lock-in. Static lock-in may also be avoided by superposing an oscillatory signal on the random signal fed to the first PZT and the negative of the oscillatory signal on the random signal fed to the second PZT.
Claims8
A method for preventing or reducing dynamic lock-in of a ring laser gyro (RLG) having at least two mirrors controlling an optical path length (OPL) of the RLG, comprising:
- (a) moving a first mirror in such a manner as to randomly change the OPL of the RLG;
- and
- (b) simultaneously moving a second mirror in such a manner as to at least approximately counteract the OPL change induced by the first mirror.
Apparatus for preventing or reducing dynamic lock-in of a ring laser gyro (RLG) having at least two mirrors controlling an optical path length (OPL) of the RLG, comprising:
- (a) means for moving a first mirror in such a manner as to randomly change the OPL of the RLG;
- and
- (b) means for simultaneously moving a second mirror in such a manner as to at least approximately counteract the OPL change induced by the first mirror.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.