Acousto-optical combined frequency splitters and shifters as components of a ring optical gyroscope

An analysis is made of the task of symmetrisation of a Y-type directional coupler and of shifting the frequency of counterpropagating waves in a ring gyroscope by means of the relatively recently discovered new type of acousto-optical diffraction when the incident radiation is diffracted simultaneously into two orders. Anisotropic and isotropic acousto-optical diffraction in a uniaxial crystal is considered and expressions convenient for calculations are derived. Experiments carried out on isotropic diffraction in LiNbO₃ confirm, on the whole, the theoretical predictions.