  We report experimental and theoretical study of a rotating diode-pumped
Nd-YAG ring laser with active beat note stabilization. Our experimental setup
is described in the usual Maxwell-Bloch formalism. We analytically derive a
stability condition and some frequency response characteristics for the
solid-state ring laser gyroscope, illustrating the important role of mode
coupling effects on the dynamics of such a device. Experimental data are
presented and compared with the theory on the basis of realistic laser
parameters, showing a very good agreement. Our results illustrate the duality
between the very rich non linear dynamics of the diode-pumped solid-state ring
laser (including chaotic behavior) and the possibility to obtain a very stable
beat note, resulting in a potentially new kind of rotation sensor.
