The fiber-optic gyroscope: Challenges to become the ultimate rotation-sensing technology

Taking advantage of the development of optical-fiber communication technologies, the fiber-optic gyroscope started to be investigated in the mid 1970s, opening the way for a fully solid-state rotation sensor. It was firstly seen as dedicated to medium-grade applications, but today, it reaches strategic-grade performance and surpasses its well-established competitor, the ring-laser gyroscope, in terms of bias noise and long-term stability. Further progresses remain possible, the challenge being the ultimate inertial navigation performance of one nautical mile per month corresponding to a long-term bias stability of 10−5°/h.