The History of Laser Gyro Development in the Former Soviet Union

D.P. Loukianov, V. Yu Filatov, V.N. Kuryatov, V.P. Vasiliev, V.I. Buzanov, V.P. Spectorenko and O.I. Klochko

Abstract:	The era of ‘iron’ gyroscopes opened up by J.B.L. Foukault’s discovery in 1851 gave the mankind a clue to the mysteries of the outer space and depths of the World Ocean, formed the prerequisites for the development of a new generation of navigation and control systems for various civil and military applications. In the years of the cold war the ‘iron’ gyroscopic technologies reached its peak from which the level of military confrontation of the two world systems and the possibility to keep a check on it were assessed. By the middle of the 20th century the academic science, both in the USSR and USA, developed the theory of quantum molecular generators that provided the basis for a new generation of devices – lasers. Their advent in the depths of military and industrial complexes allowed fantastic projects of laser hyperboloids, highly efficient guidance facilities to be designed and put into practice, new production procedures and techniques to be developed, etc. The capacity of the country to elaborate and develop laser technology was indicative of its greatness and power no less than possession of nuclear weapons and achievements in space exploration. Starting from 1961 lasers of different types occupy a firm place in optical laboratories. The advent of the first optical gyroscopes was predetermined. This paper is a brief history of the laser gyroscopy development in the former Soviet Union. It considers the prerequisites and conditions in which laser gyroscopy was coming into existence, presents various concepts of their optico-physical schemes, describes problems, methods and ways used to settle them.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (2001) June 11 - 13, 2001 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	225 - 237
Cite this article:	Loukianov, D.P., Filatov, V. Yu, Kuryatov, V.N., Vasiliev, V.P., Buzanov, V.I., Spectorenko, V.P., Klochko, O.I., "The History of Laser Gyro Development in the Former Soviet Union," Proceedings of the 57th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (2001), Albuquerque, NM, June 2001, pp. 225-237.
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In