Ring laser start up apparatus

In a ring angular rate sensor wherein a substantially thermally and mechanically stable block provides a plurality of interconnected cavities therein, selected ones of said plurality of interconnected cavities being interconnected to form a closed-loop path to permit light to travel along said closed-loop path, wherein said plurality of interconnected cavities contain an active gas which can freely communicate within said plurality of cavities, wherein said block is defined by outer wall portions and inner wall portions, said inner wall portions being in direct communication with said gas, wherein a portion of a first anode is in communication with said gas in one of said plurality of interconnected cavities, wherein a portion of a first cathode is in communication with said gas in one of said plurality of cavities, said first cathode and said first anode each being electrically connected to at least a first electric potential of sufficient magnitude to establish an electric potential therebetween to at least maintain an electrical current, once established by ionization of said gas, between said first anode and said first cathode through said gas to cause at least two laser beams to travel in opposite directions through said selected ones of said cavities forming said closed-loop path, the improvement comprising:

• electric field distributing means electrically connected to a selected one of said first anode and said first cathode providing a second distributed electric field along a portion of a path between said first anode and said first cathode enhancing generation and acceleration of free charges in said gas along a prescribed path between said first cathode and said first anode through said gas which includes a portion of at least one of said selected ones of said plurality of interconnected cavities forming said closed-loop path;
• switch means for selectively connecting said electric field distributing means to a selected one of said first cathode and said first anode for initializing an electrical current between said first anode and said first cathode through said gas and thereby establish said laser beams.

In a laser angular rate sensor wherein a substantially thermally and mechanically stable block provides a plurality of interconnected cavities therein, selected ones of said plurality of interconnected cavities being interconnected to form a closed-loop path to permit light to travel along said closed-loop path, wherein said plurality of interconnected cavities contain an active gas which can freely communicate within said plurality of cavities, wherein said block is defined by outer wall portions and inner wall portions, said inner wall portions being in direct communication with said gas, wherein a portion of a first anode is in communication with said gas in one of said plurality of interconnected cavities, wherein a portion of a first cathode is in communication with said gas in one of said plurality of cavities, said first cathode and said first anode each being electrically connected to at least a first electric potential of sufficient magnitude to establish an electric potential therebetween to at least maintain an electrical current, once established by ionization of said gas, between said first anode and said first cathode through said gas to cause at least two laser beams to travel in opposite directions through said selected ones of said cavities forming said closed-loop path, the improvement comprising:

• means for establishing a first electric potential distribution condition of said body portion;
• means for changing said electric potential distribution of said body portion from said first electric potential distribution to a second electric potential distribution, said first and second electric potential distributions being sufficiently different and said change occurring sufficiently fast to establish an electrical current between said first anode and said first cathode.