Nonreciprocal phase shift caused by magnetic-thermal coupling of a polarization maintaining fiber optic gyroscope.

A theory for nonreciprocal phase shift caused by cross coupling generated in a polarization maintaining (PM) fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) under the combined action of magnetic and temperature fields is proposed. The magnetic-thermal coupling in the FOG originates from the interaction of the magnetic field, fiber twist, birefringence caused by thermal stress, and the intrinsic and bending birefringence of the fiber. The cross coupling changes with temperature. When the PM fiber has a diameter of 250 μm, beat length of 3 mm, length of 500 m, twist rate of 1  rad/m, and optical source wavelength of 1310 nm, the maximum degree of magnetic-thermal coupling generated by a 1 mT radial magnetic field within the temperature range of -20°C  to 60°C is -5.47%.