Depolarizer for a fiber optic gyroscope (fog) using high birefringence photonic crystal fiber

摘要

An environmentally robust fiber depolarizer for a fiber optic gyroscope. The depolarizer includes substantially a clockwise propagating leg and a counterclockwise propagating leg, distally coupled at opposite ends of a gyroscope sensing coil. The fiber depolarizer is formed of high birefringence photonic crystal fiber bonded segments. The fiber depolarizer reduces Shupe effect in a FOG and/or depolarizes the light anywhere in the optical circuit of a FOG. The Shupe effect reduction depolarizers may be packaged apart from the FOG sense coil, or wound in a symmetric pattern on the outer diameter of the FOG sense coil.