Development of compact resonator fiber optic gyroscopes

In this paper we report progress toward a compact resonator fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG) design for commercial navigation applications. Specifically, we report the first use of silicon optical bench (SIOB) technology within the gyro to miniaturize optical component size. A low loss SIOB is used for optical resonator loop closure and a promising initial finesse of 35 is observed. The gyro angle random walk is 0.0029 deg./rt.-hr., and first results show a bias stability of better than 0.1 deg./hr for a sensing coil diameter of two inches. These results represent an encouraging step toward the realization of a practical navigation-grade RFOG for civil navigation usage.