IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,816,325
Granted Patent B2
US 10,816,325 · App. 16/520,672 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Deformometer for determining deformation of an optical cavity optic

Inventors: Zeeshan Ahmed (Washington, DC); Kevin O. Douglass (Ellicott City, MD); Stephen P. Eckel (Rockville, MD); Patrick F. Egan (Rockville, MD); Jay H. Hendricks (Clarksburg, MD); Jack A. Stone, Jr. (Silver Spring, MD)
Assignee: GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
G01B11/16G02B27/1006H01S3/107H01S3/23H01S5/4012H01S5/4075H01S5/4087G02B27/283H01S3/1625H01S3/1636H01S3/2222
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,816,325
App. No.
16/520,672
Granted
Oct 27, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A deformometer includes: a cavity body; entry and exit optical cavity optics, such that the optical cavity produces filtered combined light from combined light; a first laser that provides first light; a second laser that provides second light; an optical combiner that: receives the first light; receives the second light; combines the first light and the second light; produces combined light from the first light and the second light; and communicates the combined light to the entry optical cavity optic; a beam splitter that: receives the filtered combined light; splits the filtered combined light; a first light detector in optical communication with the beam splitter and that: receives the first filtered light from the beam splitter; and produces a first cavity signal from the first filtered light; and a second light detector that: receives the second filtered light; and produces a second cavity signal from the second filtered light.

Claims (121)

1. A deformometer for determining deformation of an optical cavity optic disposed on an optical cavity, the deformometer comprising:

the optical cavity comprising:

a cavity body;

an entry optical cavity optic disposed at an entry end of cavity body and that receives combined light; and

an exit optical cavity optic disposed at an exit end of cavity body, the entry optical cavity optic in optical communication and optically opposing the exit optical cavity optic, such that the exit optical cavity optic receives the combined light from the entry optical cavity optic,

such that the optical cavity produces filtered combined light from the combined light;

a first laser in optical communication with entry optical cavity optic and that provides first light;

a second laser in optical communication with entry optical cavity optic and that provides second light;

a first optical combiner in optical communication with the entry optical cavity optic and that:

receives the first light from the first laser;

receives the second light from the second laser;

combines the first light and the second light;

produces combined light from the first light and the second light; and

communicates the combined light to the entry optical cavity optic;

a second optical combiner in optical communication with the exit optical cavity optic and that:

receives the filtered combined light from the optical cavity;

splits the filtered combined light into first filtered light and second filtered light;

a first light detector in optical communication with the second optical combiner and that:

receives the first filtered light from the second optical combiner; and

produces a first cavity signal from the first filtered light; and

a beam splitter in optical communication with the second optical combiner and that:

receives the second filtered light from the second optical combiner; and

communicates a second portion of the second filtered light to a second light detector;

the second light detector in optical communication with the beam splitter and that:

receives the second filtered light from the beam splitter; and

produces a second cavity signal from the second filtered light, from which a deformation of the entry optical cavity optic and exit optical cavity optic is determined; and

an optical frequency comb source that produces a first optical frequency comb and a second optical frequency comb.

2. The deformometer of claim 1 , further comprising a probe light detector in optical communication with the first laser and that receives the first light from the first laser and produces a probe signal from the first light.

3. The deformometer of claim 1 , further comprising a first reference light detector that:

receives the first light from the first laser;

receives the first optical frequency comb from the optical frequency comb source; and

produces a first reference signal from the first light and the first optical frequency comb.

4. The deformometer of claim 1 , further comprising a second reference light detector that:

receives the second light from the second laser;

receives the second optical frequency comb from the optical frequency comb source; and

produces a second reference signal from the second light and the second optical frequency comb.

5. The deformometer of claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter communicates a portion of the second filtered light to an imager; and

the deformometer further comprises the imager in optical communication with the beam splitter, and the imager:

receives the second filtered light from the beam splitter; and

produces an image signal from the second filtered light.

6. The deformometer of claim 1 , further comprising:

an electrooptic modulator in optical communication with the first laser and that:

receives the first light from the first laser;

receives an oscillator signal from an oscillator; and

modulates the first light at a frequency of the oscillator signal,

wherein the electrooptic modulator is optically interposed between the first laser and the first optical combiner.

7. The deformometer of claim 6 , further comprising:

an amplitude optical modulator in optical communication with the second laser and that:

receives the second light from the second laser; and

modulates the second light,

wherein the amplitude optical modulator is optically interposed between the second laser and the first optical combiner.

8. The deformometer of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second optical cavity comprising:

a second entry optical cavity optic disposed at the entry end of the cavity body and that receives a second combined light; and

a second exit optical cavity optic disposed at the exit end of the cavity body, the second entry optical cavity optic in optical communication and optically opposing the second exit optical cavity optic, such that the second exit optical cavity optic receives the second combined light from the second entry optical cavity optic,

such that the second optical cavity produces second filtered combined light from the second combined light;

a third laser in optical communication with the second entry optical cavity optic and that provides third light;

a fourth laser in optical communication with the second entry optical cavity optic and that provides fourth light;

a third optical combiner in optical communication with the second entry optical cavity optic and that:

receives the third light from the third laser;

receives the fourth light from the fourth laser;

combines the third light and the fourth light;

produces second combined light from the third light and the fourth light; and

communicates the second combined light to the second entry optical cavity optic;

a fourth optical combiner in optical communication with the second exit optical cavity optic and that:

receives the second filtered combined light from the optical cavity; and

splits the second filtered combined light into third shifted light and fourth shifted light;

a third light detector in optical communication with the fourth optical combiner and that:

receives the third shifted light from the fourth optical combiner; and

produces a third cavity signal from the third shifted light; and

a second beam splitter in optical communication with the fourth optical combiner and that:

receives the fourth shifted light from the fourth optical combiner;

communicates a portion of the fourth shifted light to a second imager; and

communicates a second portion of the fourth shifted light to a sixth light detector;

the sixth light detector in optical communication with the second beam splitter and that:

receives the fourth shifted light from the second beam splitter; and

produces a fourth cavity signal from the fourth shifted light, from which a deformation of the second entry optical cavity optic and the second exit optical cavity optic is determined: and

the second imager in optical communication with the second beam splitter and that:

receives the fourth shifted light from the second beam splitter; and

produces a second image signal from the fourth shifted light.

9. The deformometer of claim 8 , further comprising a second probe light detector in optical communication with the third laser and that receives the third light from the third laser and produces a second probe signal from the third light.

10. The deformometer of claim 8 , further comprising a second reference light detector in optical communication with the second laser and the fourth laser and that:

receives the second light from the second laser;

receives the fourth light from the fourth laser; and

produces a mixed optical signal from the second light and the fourth light.

11. The deformometer of claim 8 , further comprising a third probe light detector in optical communication with the first laser and the second laser and that:

receives the first light from the first laser;

receives the third light from the third laser; and

produces a third probe signal from the first light and the third light.

12. A process for determining deformation of an optical cavity optic disposed on an optical cavity with a deformometer, the process comprising:

receiving, by a first optical combiner in optical communication with an entry optical cavity optic, first light;

receiving, by the first optical combiner, second light;

combining the first light and the second light;

producing combined light from the first light and the second light;

communicating the combined light to the entry optical cavity optic;

receiving combined light, by the entry optical cavity optic that is disposed at an entry end of a cavity body;

receiving, by an exit optical cavity optic disposed at an exit end of the cavity body, the combined light from the entry optical cavity optic,

producing, by the optical cavity, filtered combined light from the combined light;

receiving, by a second optical combiner in optical communication with the exit optical cavity optic, the filtered combined light from the optical cavity;

splitting the filtered combined light into first filtered light and second filtered light;

receiving, by a first light detector in optical communication with the second optical combiner, the first filtered light from the second optical combiner;

producing a first cavity signal from the first filtered light;

receiving, by a beam splitter in optical communication with the second optical combiner, the second filtered light from the second optical combiner;

communicating a second portion of the second filtered light to a second light detector;

receiving, by the second light detector in optical communication with the beam splitter, the second filtered light from the beam splitter;

producing a second cavity signal from the second filtered light;

producing, by an optical frequency comb source, a first optical frequency comb and a second optical frequency comb;

receiving, by a first reference light detector, the first light;

receiving the first optical frequency comb from the optical frequency comb source;

producing a first reference signal from the first light and the first optical frequency comb 1 ;

receiving, by a second reference light detector, the second light;

receiving the second optical frequency comb;

producing a second reference signal from the second light and the second optical frequency comb; and

determining, from the second cavity signal, the deformation of the entry optical cavity optic and the exit optical cavity optic.

13. The process of claim 12 , further comprising:

communicating a portion of the second filtered light to an imager;

receiving, by the imager in optical communication with the beam splitter, the second filtered light from the beam splitter; and

producing an image signal from the second filtered light.

14. The process of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving, by a probe light detector, the first light; and

producing a probe signal from the first light.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2019
From: AHMED, ZEESHAN; DOUGLASS, KEVIN O.; ECKEL, STEPHEN P.; EGAN, PATRICK F.; HENDRICKS, JAY H.; STONE, JACK A., JR.
To: GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
Reel/Frame 050040/0204 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62714953 · Aug 6, 2018
Related Publication 20200041256A1 · Feb 6, 2020