Simulation of the temperature drift of the laser gyroscope path length

Abstract

The authors present the results of modeling the temperature drift of the resonator path length of a laser gyroscope based on a ring helium-neon laser with circular polarization of radiation and a magneto-optical frequency bias based on the Zeeman effect using the MATLAB mathematical package. The algorithm developed and implemented in the MATLAB environment makes it possible to simulate temperature deformations of the path length of a Zeeman laser gyroscope when the configuration of its structural elements changes. This allows to evaluate the quality of the supplied material for the manufacture of the ring laser resonator, as well as to evaluate the total contribution of structural elements to the resulting drift of the perimeter of the Zeeman gyroscope. The model obtained in the work is an analytical tool for additional quality control of the optical glass-ceramic SO-115M, from which the resonator is made, and optimization of the design of the Zeeman laser gyroscope, both locally and comprehensively. This is necessary to increase the efficiency of ring laser perimeter stabilization in the operating temperature range using an active perimeter adjustment system and passive thermal compensation by selecting structural elements with opposite temperature coefficients of linear expansion. The use of the developed model in the production of laser gyroscopes permits to select the structural elements of the Zeeman gyroscope, which significantly increases the time of its continuous operation in a single-mode in a wide temperature range while maintaining the re-quired accuracy for the orientation, stabilization and navigation systems of various aircraft.

Keywords

• ring laser
• computer simulation
• optical glass-ceramic
• frequency bias amplitude
• matlab
• thermal compensation