CA1154955A
Expired / Lapsed
CA
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process and device for modulating the phase of the waves traveling in a ring interferometer
Assignee: Thales SA
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Filing: 1980-12-09
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Granted: 1983-10-11
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Expires: 2000-12-09
Abstract
Abstract PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR MODULATING THE PHASE OF THE WAVES TRAVELING IN A RING INTERFEROMETER ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Procedure consisting in inserting along the ring of a ring interfero-meter at least one reciprocal-effect phase modulator. The .PHI.(t) function, representing the modulation of the phase of the two waves traveling in opposite directions in the ring of the interferometer, is a periodic function confirming the relationship .PHI.(t) = .PHI.(t + 2?), where ? is the time which electromagnetic waves take to travel round the ring. The effect of this modulation is to shift the measuring point on the curve representing the optical power depending on the variation of the phase difference .DELTA.? between the two waves and to obtain a maximum sensitivity of the measurement about the point (.DELTA.?) = 0 by making the power component detected, representing the magnitude to be measured, proportional to sin (.DELTA.?). A control signal generator supplies simultaneously these signals to the modulator and to a synchronous detector.
Inventors
- 👤 Herve Arditty
- 👤 Claude Puech
- 👤 Michel Papuchon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
CA
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 19:19
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/58; G01C19/64; G01C19/72; G01C19/721; H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/08; H01S3/081; H01S3/083
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A process for modulating the phase of the waves traveling in a ring interferometer comprising means forming a ring waveguide in which two electromagnetic waves travel in opposite directions, a source of electromagnetic energy, means for separating and mixing the electromagnetic waves traveling in the ring and means for detecting the interference of the waves traveling in the ring and responsive to the phase difference between these two waves; said process comprising the following steps: - periodic and symmetric modulation of the phase of the waves traveling in the ring in accordance with a period .PHI.(t) function confirming the relationship .PHI.(t) = .PHI.(t + 2?) where ? is the time which each of the waves takes to travel over the path defined by the ring; - and detection at frequency 1/(2?) of the .PHI.(t) function of the phase difference of the two waves traveling in opposite directions in the ring.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
150 words
A process for modulating the phase of the waves traveling in a ring interferometer comprising means forming a ring waveguide in which two electromagnetic waves travel in opposite directions, a source of electromagnetic energy, means for separating and mixing the electromagnetic waves traveling in the ring and means for detecting the interference of the waves traveling in the ring and responsive to the phase difference between these two waves; said process comprising the following steps: - periodic and symmetric modulation of the phase of the waves traveling in the ring in accordance with a period .PHI.(t) function confirming the relationship .PHI.(t) = .PHI.(t + 2?) where ? is the time which each of the waves takes to travel over the path defined by the ring; - and detection at frequency 1/(2?) of the .PHI.(t) function of the phase difference of the two waves traveling in opposite directions in the ring.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
The process as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the waves traveling in opposite directions in the ring are phase modulated a first time in accordance with a first periodic .PHI.(t) function and a second time according to a second periodic .PHI.2(t) function and wherein the two functions .PHI.1(t) and .PHI.2(t) confirm simultaneously the relationships: .PHI.1(t) = - .PHI.2(t) .PHI.1(t) = .PHI.1(t + 2?) .PHI.2(t) = .PHI.2(t + 2?).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the periodic functions modulating the phase of the waves repre-sent square-wave signals whose amplitude varies between two given states and of frequency 1/(2?).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the periodic functions modulating the phase of the waves repre-sent sinusoidal or cosinusoidal signals of frequency 1/(2?).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the amplitude of the variations of the periodic functions is such that the variation of the periodic phase difference between the two waves traveling in opposite directions is ? radians.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
A device for modulating the phase of the waves traveling in a ring interferometer in accordance with the process claimed in Claim 1, comprising, the waves being light waves, at least one reciprocal-effect phase modulator con-trolled by a periodic signal of frequency 1/(2?), placed in the optical path covered by the waves traveling in opposite directions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The device as claimed in Claim 6, comprising two reciprocal-effect phase modulators placed at given positions in the optical path, introducing phase shifts in accordance with the two periodic functions .PHI.1(t) and .PHI.2(t).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the reciprocal-effect phase modulators bring into play an electro-optical effect.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the electro-optical effect is a linear effect and wherein each phase modulator is formed by a Pockels cell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the electro-optical effect is a quadratic effect and wherein each phase modulator is formed by a Kerr cell.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
95 words
The device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein, with the ring of the interferometer formed by an optical fiber, each modulator brings into play a mechano-optical effect and wherein the modulator is formed by an elongated, hollow body made from piezoelectric material provided with electrodes placed respectively on the principal internal and external faces, an optical fiber being wound with edge-to-edge turns on said body over a given length; the piezoelectric body, energized by the control signal, vibrating at the frequency of this signal and introducing phase variations in the waves traveling in this fiber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
120 words
The device as claimed in Claim 7 for an inter-ferometer whose ring is formed by an optical fiber and the energy source, the means for separating and mixing the waves and the detection means are formed entirely in a solid medium by integration on a substrate, on which two coupled waveguides are formed connected at one of their ends, respectively to the energy source and to the detection means and at their other ends to the ends of the optical fiber; said device com-prising, integrated on the substrate, at least one pair of electrodes disposed on each side of one of the two waveguides so as to form an electro-optical effect phase modulator; the electrodes receiving the periodic control signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device as claimed in Claim 12, comprising two pairs of electrodes, integrated on the substrate, dis-posed on each side respectively of each waveguide so as to form two phase modulators.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The device as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the detection means are quadratic and comprise a synchronous detector synchronized to the frequency of the control signal and wherein this control signal transmitted simultaneously to a synchronous detector and to each phase modulator is elabo-rated by a local oscillator.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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