One-Way Interferometer for Implementing the Generalized Sagnac Effect

This article discusses a hypothetical device—the one-way interferometer based on the generalized Sagnac effect for studying rotational and uniform rectilinear motion. The key element of this device is an electro-optical deflector installed in one arm of a two-beam interferometer for scanning the traveling wave over a limited range of angles. When interfering with the reference wave, this will lead to oscillations in the light-driven photocurrent at the device output and will allow, when processing the photocurrent, to extract at the fundamental frequency of oscillations the phase shift of one (scanning) wave with information about the speed of movement, arising as a result of the generalized Sagnac effect. The stability of the interference will be ensured by the selected scanning amplitude and feedback of the frequency component at double the scanning frequency with the phase of the reference wave. If confirmed experimentally, the one-way interferometer will provide greater insight into the nature of the generalized Sagnac effect and identify potential applications in scientific and applied research. To test the performance of the one-way interferometer, an experiment is being considered to measure the orbital velocity of the Earth around the Sun and, together with the Solar System, around the center of the Galaxy, as well as the speed of the Earth’s translational motion relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background.