Resonator fiber optic gyro progress including observation of navigation grade angle random walk

A benchtop experimental resonator fiber optic gyro (RFOG) was assembled and tested. The gyro employed a fiber length of 19 meters of polarizing fiber for the sensing coil which was wound on a 4.5 inch diameter piezoelectric cylinder. Angle random walk (ARW) values in the range of 0.0075 to 0.0085 deg/rt-hr were observed against a calculated shot noise limit of 0.0053 deg/rt.-hr for this experimental arrangement. To our knowledge, this is the first ARW result reported for an RFOG that is consistent with commercial navigation-grade performance.