STIMULATED BRILLOUIN RING LASER GYROSCOPE WITH OPTICAL FREQUENCY OFFSET OF COUNTERPROPAGATING PUMP LASER SIGNALS

摘要

A disk resonator is pumped by counterpropagating pump signals to produce corresponding counterpropagating Brillouin laser signals. The pump laser optical frequencies are separated by a frequency offset ΔνP but excite the same nominal resonator optical mode; the Brillouin laser optical frequencies are separated by a beat frequency ΔνL with 0<ΔνL<ΔνP. A photodetector receives the Brillouin laser signals and produces an electrical signal at the beat frequency ΔνL. The frequency offset ΔνP can be large so enough to prevent locking of the Brillouin laser signals onto a common Brillouin laser frequency. A signal processing system derives from the beat frequency ΔνL an estimated angular velocity component of the disk optical resonator about an axis substantially perpendicular to the disk optical resonator.