Brillouin ring laser gyro

Abstract

A Brillouin ring laser gyro has a fiber ring resonator, which exhibits a sequence of resonance frequencies, neighboring resonance frequencies differ by a free spectral range. Two pump laser waves of opposite directions are generated. The frequency difference of these pump laser waves is an integral multiple of the free spectral range of the fiber ring resonator. The frequencies of the pump laser waves coincide with resonance frequencies of the fiber ring resonator. Due to stimulated Brillouin scattering, two Brillouin ring lasers having opposite directions of propagation are excited. Frequency fluctuations occur with such two-color ring laser gyros. The invention is based on the discovery of the causes of such frequency fluctuations and, consequently, provides means for the damping of feedback components of the laser light originating outside the fiber ring resonator. Various examples of such means are disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.