Single-mode fiber-optic gyroscopes are attractive alternatives to conventional mechanical gyroscopes and HeNe ring laser gyroscopes. One type of fiber-optic gyroscope, the interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope, is already well developed. Even for this type of fiber-optic gyroscope, there still remain areas that need further investigation. The other types of fiber-optic gyroscope, the resonant fiber-optic gyroscope and the Brillouin fiber-optic gyroscope, are at an earlier stage of development and much effort is required to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of these alternative approaches.; This dissertation discusses two major topics: the Brillouin fiber-optic gyroscope and a novel signal processing method for the interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope.; The Brillouin fiber-optic ring laser, on which the Brillouin fiber-optic gyroscope is based, is analyzed in detail. Closed-form solutions that describe the behavior of the Brillouin fiber-optic ring laser are obtained. These solutions are used to help the design of the Brillouin fiber-optic gyroscope.; An experimental investigation of the Brillouin fiber-optic gyroscope is described, with emphasis placed on the nonlinear Kerr effect, the frequency lock-in phenomenon, and a method for extracting the rotation information from the optical signal. A novel optical method for reducing the frequency lock-in is proposed and demonstrated.; A novel signal processing method for the open-loop interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope is proposed. The system is based on a specially-designed waveform that is adjusted by the electronic feedback loop such that the waveform is orthogonal to the detector current from the gyroscope. It is demonstrated that this system determines the rotation rate with good linearity and a wide dynamic range. In particular, the system is constructed in digital electronics which gives the benefit of better stability.; Methods to correct the slight nonlinear response and the quantization gaps of the digitally implemented signal processing system are demonstrated. The application of this signal processing architecture for the purpose of stabilizing the phase modulation amplitude in the fiber-optic gyroscope is also discussed.
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