A Prototype for a Passive Resonant Interferometric Fiber Optic Gyroscope with a 3 × 3 Directional Coupler.

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Inertial Navigation
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Miniaturization of optical gyroscopes is essential for widespread adoption.
• Resonant fiber optic gyroscopes offer a promising path towards smaller, more cost-effective solutions.
• Existing designs often face challenges with complexity and component count.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a prototype of a miniature resonant interferometric gyroscope.
• To demonstrate its potential for strategic accuracy and miniaturization.
• To develop a theoretical model for understanding its performance.

Main Methods:

• Development and testing of a prototype resonant interferometric gyroscope utilizing passive optical elements.
• Characterization of gyroscope performance, including zero instability and angle random walk.
• Formulation of a theoretical model for multipath interference in resonant spectra.

Main Results:

• The prototype achieved a zero instability of 20°/h and an angle random walk of 0.16°/√h.
• A theoretical model was proposed and validated against experimental data.
• Observed scale factor instability and signal level changes attributed to polarization non-reciprocity.

Conclusions:

• The developed miniature resonant interferometric gyroscope shows significant potential for miniaturization, low cost, and ease of implementation.
• The theoretical model accurately explains observed performance characteristics.
• Further investigation is needed to address polarization non-reciprocity issues for enhanced stability.