Abstract: A triad sensor apparatus (300) comprises a passive ring Sagnac interferometric arrangement having a light source circuit (308) and a series of three multi-turn fiber optic rings (302, 304, 306). An optics/modulator circuit (312) is adapted to selectively switch optical waves emitted from the light source circuit (308) and transmit the signals through the corresponding fiber optic rings as counterpropagating optical waves. Nonreciprocal phase modulation is applied to the counter-propagating waves, and the waves are recombined so as to produce a "zero order" fringe pattern having an intensity varying in accordance with the relative phase between the counterpropagating waves. Optical waves from the light source circuit (308) are selectively applied to a ring path during a given time period, while the photodetector circuit (324) is detecting light waves which have emerged from another ring path during the same given time period.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 21, 1987
Date of Patent:
May 9, 1989
Assignees:
Smiths Industries, SLI Avionic Systems Corp.
Inventors:
Harry L. Gubbins, Jerry L. Page, Daniel L. Sugarbaker