Study on a Unidirectional Ring Laser Gyro (Part 1)-Proposition of the Principle and Studies on the Components-

Study of a Unidirectional Ring Laser Gyro (URLG) is being carried out at NAL (National Aerospace Laboratory) in studies on an advanced-automatic flight control system (Fly-By-Light System) for STOL aircraft. The purpose of the study is to develop a laser gyroscope which has such properties as high accuracy, high reliability, a very long service life and low cost. The laser gyro has no lock-in region and no moving parts. In this paper, the principle of the laser gyro is proposed, and the behavior and potential performance of the laser gyro are discussed theoretically. Furthermore, the results of the experimental studies of the main components, i.e., a ring laser, a V Shaped linear laser, an optical diode and an optical read-out device are described.