All-optical noise-subtraction scheme for a fiber-optic gyroscope

A new intensity-noise-subtraction scheme for an interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope is demonstrated. Together with the light circulating through the gyro coil, an appropriately attenuated light beam from the source coupler dead end of the gyro is directed to the gyro photodetector. When the gyro is unmodulated, or modulated with a square wave at the proper frequency, the intensity noises of the two beams bear opposite phases and interfere destructively on the detector. For an unmodulated gyro, we demonstrate an intensity noise-reduction factor of ∼35, and for the same gyro modulated with a square wave at the proper frequency, we demonstrate a reduction factor of ∼15.