An Open-Loop Test of a Resonator Fiber Optic Gyro

The resonator fiber optic gyro （R-FOG） ,which utilizes a resonance frequency change due to the Sagnac effect,is a promising candidate for the next generation inertial rotation sensor. In this study, an open-loop R-FOG is set up using phase modulation spectroscopy. First,the demodulation curve is obtained using a lock-in amplifier. From the demodulation signal,a gyro dynamic range of ± 4.2rad/s is obtained. Then,using different phase modulation frequencies,the open-loop gyro output signal is measured when the gyro is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. The bias drift as a function of time is also measured. The fluctuation of the output over 5s is about 0.02rad/s. The drift can be reduced by taking countermeasures against system noise.

Residual intensity modulation in resonator fiber optic gyros with sinusoidal wave phase modulation

We present how residual intensity modulation(RIM) affects the performance of a resonator fiber optic gyro(R-FOG) through a sinusoidal wave phase modulation technique. The expression for the R-FOG system's demodulation curve under RIM is obtained. Through numerical simulation with different RIM coefficients and modulation frequencies, we find that a zero deviation is induced by the RIM effect on the demodulation curve, and this zero deviation varies with the RIM coefficient and modulation frequency. The expression for the system error due to this zero deviation is derived. Simulation results show that the RIM-induced error varies with the RIM coefficient and modulation frequency. There also exists optimum values for the RIM coefficient and modulation frequency to totally eliminate the RIM-induced error, and the error increases as the RIM coefficient or modulation frequency deviates from its optimum value; however, in practical situations, these two parameters would not be exactly fixed but fluctuate from their respective optimum values, and a large system error is induced even if there exists a very small deviation of these two critical parameters from their optimum values. Simulation results indicate that the RIM-induced error should be considered when designing and evaluating an R-FOG system.

Dynamic Free-Spectral-Range Measurement for Fiber Resonator Based on Digital-Heterodyne Optical Phase-Locked Loop

We propose a novel scheme, based on digital-heterodyne optical phase-locked loop with whole-fiber circuit, to dynamically measure the free-spectral-range of a fiber resonator. The optical phase-locked loop is established with a differential frequency-modulation module consists of a pair of acousto-optic modulators. The resonance-tracking loop is derived with the Pound-Drever-Hall technique for locking the heterodyne frequency of the OPLL on the frequency difference between adjacent resonance modes. A stable locking accuracy of about 7 × 10?9 and a dynamic locking accuracy of about 5 × 10?8 are achieved with the FSR of 8.155 MHz, indicating a bias stability of the resonator fiber optic gyro of about 0.1?/h with 10 Hz bandwidth. In addition, the thermal drift coefficient of the FSR is measured as 0.1 Hz/?C. This shows remarkable potential for realizing advanced optical measurement systems, such as the resonant fiber optic gyro, and so on.