Angular velocity detector and apparatus having angular velocity detector

Abstract

An angular velocity detector comprising a ring laser having a tapered light waveguide path which has an asymmetrical shape at least in a portion of the tapered light waveguide path so that laser beams propagating circumferentially in rotational directions reverse to each other have oscillation threshold values which are different from each other, an optical gyroscope having a terminal which detects a change of at least one of a current, a voltage and impedance of the ring laser, a measuring device for measuring information of a period or a frequency of the current, the voltage and the impedance outputted from the terminal of the above described optical gyroscope, a first output circuit for outputting information of the period or the frequency of at least one of the current, the voltage and the impedance outputted from the above described terminal when the above described optical gyroscope is not subjected to an angular velocity, and a calculation circuit for inputting a result measured by the above described measuring device and the information of the above described period or the frequency outputted from the above described first output circuit, and performing calculation on information of an angular velocity.