This paper presents a review of both active and passive ring laser devices. The operating principles of the ring laser are developed and discussed, with special emphasis given to the problems associated with the achievement of greater sensitivity and stability. First-principle treatments of the nature of quantum noise in the ring laser gyro and various methods designed to avoid low-rotation-rate lock-in are presented. Descriptions of state-of-the-art devices and current and proposed applications (including a proposed test of metric theories of gravity using a passive cavity ring laser) are given. 1985 The American Physical Society.
