Patent ID: 7446879

Claim:
A laser gyro comprising: an optical ring cavity that includes: at least three mirrors, a solid-state amplifying medium; and a feedback system, wherein the cavity and the amplifying medium are such that two counterpropagating optical modes propagate in opposite directions with respect to each other in said optical cavity, the feedback system keeping the intensity of the two counterpropagating modes substantially the same, and wherein the feedback system includes: at least a first and second acoustooptic modulator inside the cavity, each said modulator comprising at least one optical interaction medium and a piezoelectric transducer that generates a periodic acoustic wave in the optical interaction medium; a first electronic means for generating a first acoustic wave controlling the first modulator; and a second electronic means for generating a second acoustic wave controlling the second acoustooptic modulator, the first acoustooptic modulator and the second modulator being mounted side by side and head to tail.