EFFECT OF REFLECTIONS ON THE DRIFT CHARACTERISTICS OF A FIBEROPTIC PASSIVE RING-RESONATOR GYROSCOPE

The effects of reflections on the drift characteristics of a fiber-optic passive ring-resonator gyroscope are shown both theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that the reflected lights generated at the fiber ends cause nonreciprocal deformations on the resonant characteristics of a fiber-optic ring resonator and result in a drift on the gyro output. However, a rotation-detection sensitivity as high as 3 × 10−5 rad/s (τ= 30 s) was obtained by reducing the effects of the reflected lights with an optical phase modulator. © 1990 IEEE