Laser gyroscope
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorKeimpe Andringa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser gyroscope system which detects frequency shifts in which waves are propagated along a path in opposite directions at different frequencies to minimize interaction between the waves with frequency separation of the waves maintained by both reciprocal and nonreciprocal polarization dispersion in which frequencies of the two waves propagating in one direction lie between the two frequencies of waves propagating in the opposite direction. Rotation of the system produces shifts of the frequencies so that variation in the difference between the separation between the two upper frequencies, which propagate in opposite directions, and the separation between the two lower frequencies, which propagate in opposite directions, is used to measure rotation rate.
Claims10
The method comprising the steps of:
- simultaneously directing a plurality of radiant energy waves having at least a plurality of substantially coherent frequencies in opposite directions through a polarization dispersive medium;
- amplifying said waves in an amplifying medium which is common to at least a portion of the path of each of said waves;
- deflecting said waves at a plurality of points in said path with reflecting filter means;
- and
- varying the frequencies of said waves by moving said mediums and said reflecting filter means as a unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.