Electromagnetic wave ring resonator

In a laser gyroscope wherein a ring resonator is included to support two pairs of circularly polarized waves, the waves of each of such pairs having opposite polarization senses, one of such pairs of waves propagating around the ring resonator in a first direction and the other one of such pairs of waves propagating around such ring resonator in the opposite direction, each one of the waves in the two pairs thereof having a different frequency, the improvement characterized by a plurality of reflectors, included in such ring resonator, arranged to provide a phase difference between waves of opposite polarization senses to enable such waves of opposite polarization senses to resonate at different frequencies, and means, including a laser amplifier medium, for providing different indices of refraction to waves of the same polarization sense passing through such medium in different directions.

In a laser gyroscope wherein four circularly polarized laser waves resonate in a ring resonator, the improvement characterized by means included in such ring resonator for directing such waves through a predetermined path, one section of such path being disposed in a first plane and a second section of such path being disposed in a second, intersecting plane to enable such waves to resonate with different frequencies and opposite polarization senses and means, including a laser amplifier medium, for providing different indices of refraction to waves of some polarization sense, passing through such medium in different directions.

A laser gyroscope wherein a ring resonator is included to support two pairs of circularly polarized waves, the waves of each of the pairs having opposite polarization senses, one wave of each pair of waves propagating around the ring resonator in a first direction and the other wave of each pair of waves propagating around the ring resonator in the opposite direction, each one of the waves in the two pairs having a different frequency, the improvement characterized by a plurality of reflectors, included in the ring resonator arranged for spatially rotating the electromagnetic field distribution of the resonant waves about the direction of propagation of the waves to provide a phase difference between waves of opposite polarization senses to enable the waves of opposite polarization senses to resonate at different frequencies, a laser amplifier medium, and means for applying a magnetic field to the laser amplifier medium for providing predetermined indices of refraction to waves passing through the laser amplifier medium.

A laser gyroscope wherein a ring resonator is included to support two pairs of circularly polarized waves, the waves of each of the pairs having opposite polarization senses, one wave of each pair of waves propagating around the ring resonator in a first direction and the other wave of each pair of waves propagating around the ring resonator in the opposite direction, each one of the waves in the two pairs having a different frequency, the improvement characterized by means for providing a nonplanar propagation path the waves for spatially rotating the electromagnetic field distribution of the resonant waves about the direction of propagation of the waves to provide a phase difference between waves of opposite polarization senses to enable the waves of opposite polarization senses to resonate at different frequencies, a laser amplifier medium, and means for applying a magnetic field to the laser amplifier medium for providing predetermined indices of refraction to waves passing through the laser amplifier medium.

A laser gyroscope wherein a ring resonator is included to support two pairs of circularly polarized waves, the waves of each of the pairs having opposite polarization senses, one wave of each pair of waves propagating around the ring resonator in a first direction and the other wave of each pair of waves propagating around such ring resonator in the opposite direction, each one of the waves in the two pairs having a different frequency, the improvement characterized by means for providing a nonplanar propagation path for spatially rotating the electromagnetic field distribution of the resonant waves about the direction of propagation of the waves to provide a phase difference between waves of opposite polarization senses to enable the waves of opposite polarization senses to resonate a different frequencies, and means, including a laser amplifier medium, for providing different indices of refraction to waves of the same polarization sense passing through the laser amplifier medium in different directions.