Gyro and method of operating the same with a modulated frequency signal

摘要

An optical gyro reduces the coupling loss produced when a laser beam is incident upon a photodetector and the noise generated by the laser beam returning to the laser from an external point of reflection. The gyro includes a ring resonator type semiconductor laser for having laser beams transmitted circularly in opposite directions relative to each other. The angle alpha formed by the surface of the active layer of the semiconductor laser and the lateral surface of each of the low refractive index layers sandwiching the active layer and showing a refractive index lower than the active layer satisfies the requirement of 75°<a<105° over the entire periphery of the low refractive index layer. The gyro detects a beat signal generated in the semiconductor laser.