Laser applications and system components

The effect of inertial backscattering in a He – Ne ring laser at a wavelength of 632.8 nm

E. A. Petrukhin^ab, A. S. Bessonov<sup>c

a</sup> Polyus Research and Development Institute named after M. F. Stel'makh, Moscow
^b JSC "Serpukhov plant "Metallist"
^c MIREA — Russian Technological University, Moscow

Abstract: The effect is investigated of backscattering of the diffraction grating produced on the mirror surface by gas discharge UV radiation and by counterpropagating waves of a ring laser. Measurements of the dynamics of complex coupling coefficients as the ring laser slowly approaches the lock-in threshold are presented. It is shown that, when the ring laser is near the lock-in threshold, there is a slight decrease in the dissipative component of complex coupling coefficients and a significant increase in their conservative component. The physical model of these effects is discussed.

Keywords: ring laser, laser gyroscope, counterpropagating waves, backscattering, complex coupling coefficients, dissipative and conservative components, lock-in threshold, nonlinear distortions of the scale factor.

Received: 23.08.2024
Revised: 14.10.2024

 English version: Quantum Electronics, 2025, 52:suppl. 3, S261–S273