Abstract

A theoretical investigation of ring laser gyroscopes (RLGs)¹ indicates that fundamental and practical improvements in sensitivity can be accomplished by introducing a controlled coupling between the counterrunning fields of the ring cavity. The modes could be coupled, for example, by extracting some transmitted light from one cavity mode and reinjecting this light into the counterrunning mode. This controlled coupling can lead to both dead band reduction in active (lasing medium in the ring cavity) RLGs and, in some conditions, enhanced quantum-limited sensitivities of passive (single-laser source outside the ring cavity) and correlated emission (CEL)² RLGs.

© 1987 Optical Society of America