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Navigation-grade interferometric air-core antiresonant fibre optic gyroscope with enhanced thermal stability
Maochun Li1, Yizhi Sun2,3,4, Shoufei Gao2,3,4
1Tianjin Key Laboratory of Quantum Precision Measurement Technology, Tianjin Navigation Instruments Research Institute, Tianjin, 300131, China.
Nature Communications
|April 14, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel air-core fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG) achieving navigation-grade performance. The advanced fiber coil demonstrates superior stability and reduced thermal sensitivity for high-precision inertial navigation.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering
- Inertial Navigation Systems
- Materials Science
Background:
- Fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs) are crucial for inertial navigation.
- Conventional solid-core FOGs face limitations in performance and environmental adaptability.
- Air-core fibers offer potential for enhanced FOG characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a navigation-grade interferometric air-core fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG).
- To evaluate the performance of a novel quadrupolar-wound coil using truncated double nested antiresonant nodeless fiber (tDNANF).
- To assess the thermal sensitivity of the air-core IFOG compared to solid-core FOGs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 469m tDNANF coil in a quadrupolar winding configuration.
- Employed an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source (1525-1565 nm) for testing.
- Measured polarization extinction ratio (PER), angular random walk (ARW), and bias instability (BI).
- Compared thermal sensitivity against conventional solid-core FOGs.
Main Results:
- Achieved a PER of ~20 dB, indicating high polarization purity.
- Demonstrated navigation-grade performance with ARW of 0.00383 deg/√h and BI of 0.0017 deg/h.
- Confirmed significantly lower thermal sensitivity in air-core FOGs compared to solid-core FOGs (reductions of 9.24/10.68/6.82).
- First reported navigation-grade performance for air-core FOGs.
Conclusions:
- The developed air-core IFOG meets navigation-grade requirements.
- tDNANF technology enables low loss, low bend loss, and high polarization purity.
- Air-core FOGs offer superior environmental adaptability, particularly in thermal stability, for advanced inertial navigation.
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