Theoretical description and design of a fast-light enhanced helium-neon ring-laser gyroscope

Joseph E. Schaar; HoNam Yum; Selim M. Shahriar

doi:10.1117/12.880786

17 February 2011 Theoretical description and design of a fast-light enhanced helium-neon ring-laser gyroscope

Joseph E. Schaar, HoNam Yum, Selim M. Shahriar

Proceedings Volume 7949, Advances in Slow and Fast Light IV; 794914 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880786
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2011, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We describe an enhanced rotation sensor involving an active helium-neon (HeNe) ring laser coupled to a passive enhancement resonator, which has been named a fast-light-enhanced HeNe ring-laser gyroscope (RLG). Theoretical rotation sensitivity enhancements as large as two orders of magnitude are presented. The physical effect responsible for the increased rotational sensitivity is the anomalous dispersion of the enhancement resonator, which produces a larger beat frequency as compared to a standard HeNe ring-laser gyroscope (RLG) as the laser cavity is rotated. We present the layout of the fast-light enhanced HeNe RLG, and we provide the theoretical modeling of the enhanced rotational sensitivity. A design is presented for the red HeNe (632.8 nm). The beat frequency is calculated with respect to rotation rate, which defines the useful range of operation for this highly sensitive RLG. Considerations for practical issues including laser-mirror reflectivity precision, unsaturated laser gain, and cavity-length stability are discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Joseph E. Schaar, HoNam Yum, and Selim M. Shahriar "Theoretical description and design of a fast-light enhanced helium-neon ring-laser gyroscope", Proc. SPIE 7949, Advances in Slow and Fast Light IV, 794914 (17 February 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880786

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