Analysis of polarization properties of a mode-locked fiber laser gyroscope

Abstract

We investigated the polarization characteristics of a mode-locked fiber laser gyroscope (MLFLG) formed with a Nd-doped fiber as an optical gain medium and a Sagnac loop mirror. The output pulse patterns and the polarization states were found to be determined by fiber birefringence in the different sections of the MLFLG. We describe the conditions for the MLFLG to operate with automatic reciprocity leading to the possibility of phase-error-free operation. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America