OPTICAL SOURCE FOR INTERFEROMETRIC FIBER OPTIC GYROSCOPES

摘要

Optical source. The source includes a broadband, incoherent light source and a semiconductor optical amplifier in saturation arranged to receive light from the broadband incoherent light source to generate output light having reduced relative intensity noise. Following an optical source by one or more saturated semiconductor optical amplifiers provides a compact, efficient and low complexity R1N -suppressed optical source for an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope. The degree of RTN suppression (hence gyro noise reduction) is significant and is predicted to lead to as much as 20-30 dB gyro noise reduction.