Hollow-core resonator fiber optic gyroscope using nodeless anti-resonant fiber
Glen A. Sanders, Austin Taranta, C. Narayanan, Eric Numkam Fokoua, Seyed Mohammad Abokhamis Mousavi, Lee K. Strandjord, Marc Smiciklas, Thomas D. Bradley, J. R. Hayes, Gregory T. Jasion, Tiequn Qiu, W. Ewart Williams, Francesco Poletti, D.N. Payne
Abstract
Resonator fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG) performance has hitherto been limited by nonlinearity, modal impurity, and backscattering in the sensing fibers. The use of hollow-core fiber (HCF) effectively reduces nonlinearity, but the complex interplay among glass and air-guided modes in conventional HCF technologies can severely exacerbate RFOG instability. By employing high-performance nested anti-resonant nodeless fiber, we demonstrate long-term stability in a hollow-fiber RFOG of 0.05 deg/h, nearing the levels required for civil aircraft navigation. This represents a ${{3}} \times$ improvement over any prior hollow-core RFOG and a factor of ${{500}} \times$ over any prior result at integration times longer than 1 h.