Large Rings
The perimeter dependence of the Signal/Noise ratio is
This equation defines large rings with L >> Lcrit ≈ 40 cm, where S/N becomes proportional to L2. Therefore the sensitivity of large rings increases quadratically with size, hence the quest for ever larger Ring Lasers for Research.
In the past it was thought that only small ring lasers avoid multimode excitation. However, if signal bandwidth is sacrificed, there is no known limit to ring laser size, either theoretically or experimentally.
One of the major advantages of large rings is a quartic reduction of lock-in and pulling in large rings.
Read more about this topic: Ring Laser
Famous quotes containing the words large and/or rings:
“Despair,
I don’t like you very well.
You don’t suit my clothes or my cigarettes.
Why do you locate here
as large as a tank,
aiming at one half of a lifetime?”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“You held my hand
and were instant to explain
the three rings of danger.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)