Systems and methods for compensating for nonlinear phase shift accumulation in an optical ring resonator. An example method includes sending a first beam in a clockwise direction around the optical ring resonator and sending a second beam in a counterclockwise direction around the optical ring resonator. Then, nonlinear phase shift accumulation of the first and second beams is compensated for within the optical ring resonator. Compensating includes creating a negative Kerr effect phase shift for each beam based on an estimate of accumulated positive Kerr effect.