Scale factor characteristics of laser gyroscopes of different sizes.

The scale factor correction characteristics of two ring laser gyroscopes of different sizes are investigated systematically in this paper. The variation in the scale factor can reach 144 or 70 ppm for square gyroscopes with arm lengths of 8.4 cm or 15.6 cm, respectively, during frequency tuning. A dip in the scale factor is observed at the line center of the gain characteristic for both gyroscope sizes. When a different longitudinal mode is excited, the scale factor behavior remains the same, but the scale factor values differ slightly from those derived from geometric prediction. The scale factor tends to decrease with increasing discharge current, but the sensitivity of the scale factor to variations in the excitation decreases with increasing discharge current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]