The principles of operation of fiber-optic gyroscopes are reviewed. Performance-limiting phenomena are discussed along with methods to reduce their effect on the rotation-rate signal. Current technology and performance of state-of-the-art systems are presented. Finally, a direction of future research and possible applications are indicated. D

A new all-fiber gyroscope is described. All components are constructed directly on a single continuous optical fiber, removing localized sources of reflection. A laser-diode source is used to reduce coherent scattering effects. Proper choice of modulation frequency is shown to reduce instabilities further. Long-term stability at rest of better than 0.2 masculine/h is observed with 30-sec integration time.

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A technique is presented for the fabrication of high-quality single-mode fiber-optic polarizers. Properties of polarizers made using this technique include extinction ratios in excess of 60 dB as well as low loss for the desired polarization.

We describe theoretically and demonstrate experimentally the principle of a simple technique to reduce substantially the Kerr-induced rotation-rate error in fiber-optic gyroscopes. It consists of modulating the source intensity to adjust the nonlinear interaction between the counterpropagating waves.