Importance

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Abstract

An optical instrument is provided which can be configured as a gyro, spectrometer, or other sensor of effects that can influence the transmission of light through a light conduit wherein a beam of light is split and introduced into both ends of an optical fiber which in the gyro case is a fiber-optic coil. Two fixed frequency shifters and two variable frequency shifters, one each at each end of the coil, which are switched on in alternate pairs, are used to adjust any nonreciprocal phase shift caused by rotation of the coil. The beams are mixed backed together and the resultant beam is detected and analyzed by suitable circuitry to provide an output indicative of the angular position, direction of rotation, and angular rate of the motion of the fiber-optic coil as well as any frequency bias and scale factor changes. When configured as a spectrometer, the coil is made insensitive to rotation so that changes are the result of changes in the light source.

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First Claim