Properties of ring lasers containing optical elements with magnetic circular dichroism

Various types of ring lasers are proposed featuring elements with magnetic circular dichroism. An investigation is made of the influence of imperfections in these elements and of instabilities of various laser parameters on the stability of the frequency splitting induced by the natural optical activity. Possibilities are demonstrated of substantially reducing the influence of instabilities in the dispersion characteristics of the active medium on the frequency splitting. The application of these lasers to measurements of the weak natural optical activity of materials is discussed.