A system comprising a fiber optic gyroscope and a mixed signal application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) connected to the gyroscope is provided. The mixed signal ASIC comprises a digital logic unit, a relative intensity noise (RIN) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the digital logic unit and configurable to receive a signal from a RIN detector, and a rate ADC coupled to the digital logic unit and configurable to receive a signal from a rate detector. The mixed signal ASIC also includes a light source digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the digital logic unit, and a thermo-electric cooler DAC coupled to the digital logic unit, both of which are configurable to send control signals to a light source of the gyroscope. The mixed signal ASIC further includes an integrated optical chip DAC, an eigen-frequency servo DAC, and a heater servo DAC, all of which are coupled to the digital logic unit.

A ring laser gyroscope includes an optical block for generating laser beams that counter-propagate in a closed-loop type optical path, a dither mechanism for applying dither vibration for mitigating a lock-in phenomenon to the optical block, and a dither controller for controlling the dither vibration. The dither controller imparts randomness to the frequency of the angular velocity of the dither vibration.

Systems and methods for a ring laser gyroscope with electrically isolated dither motor are provided. In one embodiment, a ring laser gyroscope, the gyroscope comprises: a laser block comprising a discharge gas filled chamber ring, a cathode, an anode and at least one other electrode; a dither motor mechanically coupled to the laser block and to a sensor chassis, wherein the laser block is secured to the sensor chassis by the dither motor; and an electrical isolator positioned between the dither motor and the laser block, wherein the electrical isolator electrically isolates the dither motor from the sensor chassis.

An optical resonator with increased free spectral range and substantially no increase in volume is provided. The optical resonator includes N winding optical waveguides where each n1 winding optical waveguide is within a corresponding n winding optical waveguide and N is an integer greater than one. The n1 and n winding optical waveguides are optically coupled by an optical coupler having substantially one hundred percent optical coupling.

Systems and methods for reducing relative intensity noise are provided. The system can include a photodetector configured to detect the relative intensity noise of a light source. The system can include a transimpedance amplifier configured to provide a feedback loop with the photodetector to generate a first signal based on the detected relative intensity noise. The system can include a controller configured to actuate the light source based on the first signal to reduce the relative intensity noise. In this manner, the system can reduce the relative intensity noise of a light source for various optical systems, including gyroscopic systems.

A method of making a readout mirror for a ring laser gyroscope comprises forming an optical substrate component that includes a lower surface, a first upper surface portion substantially parallel to the lower surface, and a second upper surface portion angled with respect to the lower surface; performing a coarse polish of the second upper surface portion; forming an optical part having a first surface; performing a super polish of the first surface of the optical part; applying a first beam splitter layer to the super polished first surface of the optical part, to produce a beam splitter side of the optical part; and bonding the beam splitter side of the optical part, using an optical adhesive, to the coarse polished second upper surface portion of the substrate component, to produce a reflector member. The reflector member is configured to reduce external cavity light scattering in the ring laser gyroscope.