Electromagnetic field components: their measurement using linear electrooptic and magnetooptic effects.

Vector components of alternating electric and magnetic fields can be measured with excellent sensitivity and time resolution using a laser system employing Pockels effect or Faraday effect materials as field sensors. This technique offers the advantages of being passive and remote; the sensor material requires no power source and can be interrogated by a remotely located laser transmitter and receiver with no connecting wires or electrodes. This paper analyzes the sensitivity of the electrooptic and magnetooptic methods and derives new figures of merit for materials used as sensors in these applications. Experiments evaluating the temperature coefficients of sensitivity and demonstrating that sensitivities of 0.06 V/cm and 0.5 G can be achieved easily are described.