Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used in inertial control units. However, there are certain technical difficulties in producing laser gyros of this type that are due partly to the fact that the counterpropagating waves interfere with each other in the amplifying medium. A laser gyro according to the invention comprises at least one solid-state amplifying medium and an optical ring cavity comprising first optical means for imposing a first linear polarization state common to the two counterpropagating optical waves at the entrance and exit of the zone containing the amplifying medium and second optical means for imposing, within the amplifying medium, a second linear polarization state on the first optical wave and a third linear polarization state on the second optical wave, these polarization states being perpendicular. Thus, all the drawbacks associated with interference are eliminated.

Abstract: A laser gyro includes a semiconductor medium and assembled discrete elements, thus offering the possibility of producing large cavities for achieving the desired precision. More precisely, the laser gyro includes an optical ring cavity and a semiconductor amplifying medium with an external cavity having a vertical structure. The semiconductor amplifying medium which is used in reflection includes a stack of plane gain regions that are mutually parallel, and the dimensions of the cavity being substantially are larger than those of the amplifying medium.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state ring lasers or laser gyros. The laser gyro according to the invention comprises at least one optical cavity in the form of a ring and a solid-state amplifying medium which are designed so that two counterpropagating optical modes can propagate in opposite directions one with respect to the other inside said optical cavity and pass through the amplifying medium, said amplifying medium being coupled to an electromechanical device imparting on said amplifying medium a periodic translational movement along an axis substantially parallel to the direction of propagation of said optical modes. Thus, the population inversion grating, written by the standing wave into the amplifying medium, which disturbs the nominal operation of the laser gyro, is greatly attenuated.

Abstract: A laser cavity optical architecture of a solid-state laser gyro measures rotational velocity or angular position and is based on a global conservation of the scale factor so that each parameter varies with temperature and avoids optical mode hops.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros. One of the major problems inherent in this technology is that the optical cavity of this type of laser is by its nature highly unstable. To reduce this instability, the invention proposes to introduce controlled optical losses into the cavity that depend on the polarization direction by placing in the cavity an optical assembly comprising a polarizing element, a first element exhibiting a reciprocal effect that acts on the polarization of the wave and a second element exhibiting a nonreciprocal effect that also acts on the polarization of the wave, at least one of these two effects being variable, and to electronically slave these losses to the difference in intensity between the counterpropagating modes. Several devices are described that implement either fixed reciprocal effects combined with variable nonreciprocal effects, or vice versa.

Abstract: A laser active optronic system has an emission channel for the emission by an emission source of a laser beam which illuminates a target, and a receiving channel for receiving the wave backscattered by the target. An optical switching device is positioned in the receiving channel to receive the backscattered wave and has an optical gain medium and pumping means for pumping the gain medium. The gain medium is absorbent at the wavelength of the laser and becomes substantially transparent when it is pumped to allow the switching device to be actuated in the on mode or off mode respectively. A control unit for controlling the pumping means, allows the switching device to be actuated in the on mode in at least one temporal window of predetermined duration, triggered at a predetermined instant after the start of emission of the illuminating laser beam.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used in inertial control units. However, there are certain technical difficulties in producing laser gyros of this type that are due partly to the fact that the counterpropagating waves interfere with each other in the amplifying medium. A laser gyro according to the invention comprises at least one solid-state amplifying medium and an optical ring cavity comprising first optical means for imposing a first linear polarization state common to the two counterpropagating optical waves at the entrance and exit of the zone containing the amplifying medium and second optical means for imposing, within the amplifying medium, a second linear polarization state on the first optical wave and a third linear polarization state on the second optical wave, these polarization states being perpendicular. Thus, all the drawbacks associated with interference are eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for antimissile protection of vehicles having a very short response time with practically no false alarms and not requiring the use of means such as decoys or conventional laser jammers, while providing the best possible protection. It is characterized in that at least one curtain of plasma filaments is created between these vehicles and the probable launch point of these missiles, this curtain being intended to blind the target-seeking device of the missiles.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used in particular in inertia control systems. This type of equipment is used for example for aeronautical applications. It is possible to produce a solid-state laser gyro from optically or electrically pumped semiconductor media. Currently laser gyros of the latter type are monolithic and small in size. They do not make it possible, on the one hand, to achieve the precision comparable to that of gas laser gyros and, on the other hand, to implement optical methods for eliminating frequency coupling at low rotation speeds or temperature drifts. One subject of the invention is a solid-state laser gyro comprising a semiconductor medium and consisting of assembled discrete elements, thus offering the possibility of producing large cavities for achieving the desired precision.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros. One of the major inherent problems in this technology is that the optical emission of this type of laser is by nature highly unstable in terms of power. To reduce this instability, the invention proposes to introduce, into the cavity, optical gains controlled by the installation of an optical assembly comprising an anisotropic lasing medium, a first optical element and a second optical element exhibiting a nonreciprocal effect, each acting on the polarization of the counterpropagating optical modes, at least one of these two effects being variable, thus making it possible to introduce controlled optical gains that depend on the propagation direction of the counterpropagating optical modes. Several devices are described and employ either fixed effects of the element that are combined with variable nonreciprocal effects, or the reverse. These devices apply in particular to monolithic-cavity lasers.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical amplifying medium comprising a liquid medium, having an organic ligand corresponding to the following chemical formula: the groups R1, R2 and R3 comprising halogenated chains and a rare earth ion. The advantage of using a liquid medium lies in the possibility of more easily discharging the heat within the amplifying medium. The present solution provides a formulation that furthermore makes it possible to have entities that are non-toxic contrary to those proposed in the prior art.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros. One of the major problems inherent in this technology is that the optical cavity of this type of laser gyro is by nature highly unstable. To reduce this instability, controlled optical are introduced into the cavity that depend on the direction of propagation by using acoustooptic devices. Several devices are described, employing different configurations of acoustooptic devices. These devices apply in particular to laser gyros having monolithic cavities, and in particular to neodymium-doped YAG laser gyros.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state ring lasers or laser gyros. The laser gyro according to the invention comprises at least one optical cavity in the form of a ring and a solid-state amplifying medium which are designed so that two counterpropagating optical modes can propagate in opposite directions one with respect to the other inside said optical cavity and pass through the amplifying medium, said amplifying medium being coupled to an electromechanical device imparting on said amplifying medium a periodic translational movement along an axis substantially parallel to the direction of propagation of said optical modes. Thus, the population inversion grating, written by the standing wave into the amplifying medium, which disturbs the nominal operation of the laser gyro, is greatly attenuated.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used for measuring rotational velocities or angular positions. This type of equipment is used in particular for aeronautical applications. The performance of a laser gyro depends on the temperature stability of its scale factor S which equals 4A/?·L, L and A being respectively the optical length and the area of the laser cavity and ? the average wavelength of laser emission with no Sagnac effect. Conventionally, in gas lasers, each parameter of the scale factor is chosen so as to be independent of temperature. In solid-state lasers which are of a very different nature to that of gas lasers, it is not possible to do this. The invention proposes a laser cavity optical architecture based on the global conservation of the scale factor, it being possible for each parameter to vary with temperature. It also proposes an architecture that makes it possible at the same time to avoid optical mode hops.

Abstract: The invention concerns solid-state gyrolasers used to measure rotation speeds or relative angular positions. This type of equipment is used, in particular, in aeronautical applications. The purpose of the invention is to complete the optic devices required to control the instability of lasers, using specific optic devices that eliminate the blind region. In this way, a “fully optic” solid-state laser is obtained, without moving parts, stable, and without blind regions. These devices comprise in particular reciprocal and nonreciprocal optical rotators, arranged so that two counter-propagating optical modes travel in the cavity at sufficiently different frequencies to avoid mode locking.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros. One of the major inherent problems in this technology is that the optical emission of this type of laser is by nature highly unstable in terms of power. To reduce this instability, the invention proposes to introduce, into the cavity, optical gains controlled by the installation of an optical assembly comprising an anisotropic lasing medium, a first optical element and a second optical element exhibiting a nonreciprocal effect, each acting on the polarization of the counterpropagating optical modes, at least one of these two effects being variable, thus making it possible to introduce controlled optical gains that depend on the propagation direction of the counterpropagating optical modes. Several devices are described and employ either fixed effects of the element that are combined with variable nonreciprocal effects, or the reverse. These devices apply in particular to monolithic-cavity lasers.

Abstract: The invention concerns solid-state gyrolasers used to measure rotation speeds or relative angular positions. This type of equipment is used, in particular, in aeronautical applications. The purpose of the invention is to complete the optic devices required to control the instability of ring-shaped solid-state lasers using specific optic devices that eliminate the blind region without adding a measurement bias. In this way, a “fully optic” solid-state laser is obtained, without moving parts, stable, and without blind region. These devices comprise in particular polarization separation optical devices, reciprocal and nonreciprocal optical rotators arranged so that four linearly polarized optical modes travel in the cavity at sufficiently different frequencies to avoid mode locking.

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser active optronic system with improved detectivity, especially an eye-safe optronic system. The system comprises a channel for the emission by an emission source of a laser beam illuminating a target and a channel for receiving the wave backscattered by the target. An optical switching device is positioned in the receive channel, said optical switching device receiving said backscattered wave and comprising an optical gain medium and pumping means for pumping said gain medium, said gain medium being absorbent at the wavelength of the laser and becoming substantially transparent when it is pumped, in such a way as to allow the switching device to be actuated in the on mode or off mode respectively. It further includes a control unit for controlling the pumping means, allowing the switching device to be actuated in the on mode in at least one temporal window of predetermined duration, triggered at a predetermined instant after the start of emission of the illuminating laser beam.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros. One of the major problems inherent in this technology is that the optical cavity of this type of laser gyro is by nature highly unstable. To reduce this instability, the invention proposes to introduce, into the cavity, controlled optical losses that depend on the direction of propagation by using acoustooptic devices. Several devices are described, employing different configurations of acoustooptic devices. These devices apply in particular to laser gyros having monolithic cavities, and in particular to neodymium-doped YAG laser gyros.

Abstract: The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros. One of the major problems inherent in this technology is that the optical cavity of this type of laser is by its nature highly unstable. To reduce this instability, the invention proposes to introduce controlled optical losses into the cavity that depend on the polarization direction by placing in the cavity an optical assembly comprising a polarizing element, a first element exhibiting a reciprocal effect that acts on the polarization of the wave and a second element exhibiting a nonreciprocal effect that also acts on the polarization of the wave, at least one of these two effects being variable, and to electronically slave these losses to the difference in intensity between the counterpropagating modes. Several devices are described that implement either fixed reciprocal effects combined with variable nonreciprocal effects, or vice versa.