Enhanced scale factor ring laser gyroscope
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorJennifer S. Strabley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An embodiment of the invention enhances the rotation sensitivity and decreases the dead band width of a standard HeNe ring laser gyroscope (RLG), with the highest enhancement at low rotation rates. The addition of a gas with nuclear spin to the traditional HeNe gain medium is used to create the intracavity gain medium with an anomalous dispersive quality and thus enhanced rotation sensitivity.
Claims7
A ring laser gyroscope comprising:
- a ring laser gyro block having an interior gain bore passage within the ring laser gyro block having a plurality of sides and a plurality of ends and containing gain medium wherein the gain medium includes a gas element having non-zero nuclear spin such that the gas element provides anomalous dispersion and bi-frequency gain splitting;
- a plurality of mirrors positioned at the ends of the interior gain bore passage to allow laser beams to reflect and perform the ring lasing operation around some area enclosed;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes positioned at the sides of the ring laser gyro block for generating counterpropagating laser beams within the interior gain bore passage in which a current flows through the electrodes to the interior gain bore.
A ring laser gyroscope with an interior gain bore that defines a closed optical path and a gain medium therein, the gyroscope comprising:
- means for producing lasing modes in the interior gain bore such that the gain medium comprises an amount of a gas element having non-zero nuclear spin such that the gas element provides a corresponding anomalous dispersion and bi-frequency gain splitting.
A method for sensing rotations with a ring laser gyroscope that includes an interior gain bore that defines a closed optical path and a gain medium therein, the method comprising:
- producing lasing modes in the interior gain bore, wherein the gain medium comprises a gas element having non-zero nuclear spin which provides an anomalous dispersion and bi-frequency gain splitting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.