Magneto-optic bias of ring laser using reflective magneto-optic element at near-grazing incidence
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorGary A. Prinz
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Abstract
A method of introducing magneto-optic bias into a ring laser permitting its se as a gyroscope. A Kerr reflective mirror is positioned in one leg of a triangle between reflectors at two vertices so that radiation from a reflector at one of the vertices is reflected at the maximum practical angle of incidence to a reflector at the adjacent vertex. By incorporating the reflective magneto-optic element at near-grazing incidence, full advantage is taken of the dependence of the magneto-optical properties upon angle of incidence.
Claims7
In an improved ring laser including, in combination, means for radiating and reflecting clockwise and counterclockwise laser beams around said ring laser for biasing said beams, the improvement comprising:
- a magneto-optic mirror element placed between two corner, beam-reflecting surfaces so that the beams impinge on said element at near-grazing incidence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.