Abstract

There is great interest in using fiber superfluorescent sources in fiber optic gyroscopes as a replacement for semiconductor superluminescent diodes (SLD's). Potential benefits include higher available power, better wavelength stability with temperature, and improved lifetime. Multiclad Nd:fibers¹ pumped by a laser diode array offer high output powers in a single mode core, but are susceptible to lasing due to feedback.² This type of diode laser pumped source has been successfully employed in a fiber gyroscope using a backward pumping scheme.³ In particular this approach avoided the backreflection of backwards going superfluorescent emission off the high reflectivity diode array facet.⁴

© 1992 Optical Society of America