Resonance ring interferometry with incoherent light

A new method of measuring the phase nonreciprocity in a passive ring resonator using a light source of low coherence is described. The method provides effective suppression of noise from the backscattering of light in the ring resonator and insensitivity of the interferometer to excursions of the resonance frequencies of the resonator due to reciprocal effects (e.g., thermal expansion) and also permits modulation and compensation of the phase nonreciprocity by using a device outside the resonator to shift the frequency of the light. One version of a low-coherent resonance ring interferometer is examined, viz., a two-transit asymmetric interferometer with a rotating mirror. Pis’ma Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 24, 24–29 (September 12, 1998)