Multi-axis fiber optic gyroscope with single light source

1. A fiber optic gyroscope subassembly comprising:

a non-coherent light source for producing a first beam of light;

an optical subassembly in the path of the first beam for providing polarized second and third beams of light;

a time division multiplexer in the path of the second and third beams;

a first planar optical fiber loop coupled to the time division multiplexer, wherein the time division multiplexer is configured to optically couple the optical subassembly to a first end and a second end of the first planar optical fiber loop for transmitting the second and third beams to the first end and the second end, respectively, of the first planar optical fiber loop and for transmitting fourth and fifth beams of light from the first end and the second end, respectively, of the first planar optical fiber loop to the optical subassembly only during a first time period; and

a second planar optical fiber loop coupled to the time division multiplexer, wherein the time division multiplexer is configured to optically couple the optical subassembly to a first end and a second end of the second planar optical fiber loop for transmitting the second and third beams to the first end and the second end, respectively, of the second planar optical fiber loop and for transmitting fourth and fifth beams of light from the first end and the second end, respectively, of the second planar optical fiber loop to the optical subassembly only during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

2. A fiber optic gyroscope subassembly as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a third planar optical fiber loop coupled to the time division multiplexer, wherein the time division multiplexer is configured to optically couple the optical subassembly to a first end and a second end of the third planar optical fiber loop for transmitting the second and third beams to the first end and the second end, respectively, of the third planar optical fiber loop and for transmitting fourth and fifth beams of light from the first end and the second end, respectively, of the third planar optical fiber loop to the optical subassembly only during a third time period subsequent to the second time period.

3. A fiber optic gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical subassembly includes a polarizing beam splitter.

4. A gyroscope as defined in claim 3 , wherein the optical subassembly further comprises a Faraday rotator, and wherein the polarizing beam splitter directs S polarization of the first beam from the non-coherent light source through and into the Faraday rotator.

5. A fiber optic gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a housing, and wherein the first planar optical fiber loop is circumferentially disposed around the interior periphery of the housing.

6. A gyroscope as defined in claim 3 , wherein the optical subassembly further comprises a power monitoring photodetector, and wherein the polarizing beam splitter directs P polarization of the first beam from the non-coherent light source onto the power monitoring photodetector.

7. A gyroscope as defined in claim 3 , wherein the optical subassembly further comprises a receive photodetector, and wherein the polarizing beam splitter directs return beams of P polarization from the time division multiplexer to the receive photodetector for thereby converting the return beams received by the receive photodetector into an electrical signal.

8. A gyroscope as defined in claim 7 , further comprising a processor coupled to the receive photodetector for processing the electrical signal during the first and second time periods, respectively, to determine the rotation of the first and second planar optical fiber loops, respectively.

9. A gyroscope as defined in claim 8 , wherein the processor determines the rotational rate of the first and second planar optical fiber loops with respect to first and second axes respectively.

10. A fiber optic gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , wherein the optical subassembly comprise a single phase modulator coupled to the multiplexer and configured to provide the second and the third beams to the multiplexer.

11. A gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second time periods are of equal duration.

12. A gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first time period has a duration of less than 1 second.

13. A gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first and second planar optical fiber loops are disposed substantially orthogonal to one another.

14. A gyroscope as defined in claim 8 , wherein the processor is coupled to the multiplexer so that the transition from the first time period to the second time period is synchronized with the processing of the electrical signal derived from the receive photodetector during such respective periods.

15. A gyroscope as defined in claim 1 , wherein lengths of the first and second time periods are adjustable.

16. A fiber optic gyroscope subassembly comprising:

a non-coherent light source for producing a first beam of light;

an optical circulator having a first port coupled to the non-coherent light source and receiving the first beam of light, a second port, and a third port, wherein the second port is coupled to a polarization-maintaining optical fiber and transmits substantially the entire first beam of light in one direction to a polarization-maintaining optical fiber, and wherein light coming in an opposite direction in the polarization-maintaining fiber is directed to the third port;

a photodetector coupled to the third port of the circulator for receiving light from the polarization-maintaining fiber and converting the light into an electrical signal;

a time division multiplexer having an input coupled to the optical circulator for receiving the first beam of light and at least first and second outputs, wherein the multiplexer is configured to selectively couple the second port of the optical circulator to only one output of the at least first and second outputs during a single time interval over periodic time intervals;

at least first and second optical phase modulators coupled to the at least first and second outputs, respectively, of the time division multiplexer; and

at least first and second planar optical fiber loops coupled to the outputs of the first and second optical phase modulators, respectively.