Analysis of Acousto-Optic Errors in Laser Gyroscopes.

Abstract

Acousto-optic modulators frequency shift and spatially orient the laser beam within the laser gyroscope cavity. The accuracy of the gyroscope is directly related to the modulator performance. This study investigates two commercial styles of modulators and their impact on gyroscope operation. The drive frequency of the modulators was varied to measure the angular shifts of the first order diffracted beam. The angular deflections concurred with manufacturer specifications with a maximum mean difference of -0.1869 milliradians and maximum standard deviation of 0.2005 milliradians. Using these angular values, the reflectivities of the flat mirrors within the cavity were then determined. These calculations displayed an average reflectivity of .999567 with most changes occurring in the seventh decimal place, indicating that properly aligned modulators do not affect mirror reflectivity or gyroscope finesse.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADA124648

Entities

People

  • Eileen M. Walling

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Propagation
  • Acoustic Waves
  • Acousto-Optic Modulators
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Ceramic Materials
  • Doppler Effect
  • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Equations
  • Frequency Shift
  • Laser Beams
  • Laser Mediums
  • Lasers
  • Measurement
  • Optical Modulators
  • Optics
  • Reflection
  • Standards

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy