Electric field intensity detecting device having a condenser-type antenna and a light modulator

• US 5,210,407 A
• Filed: 05/07/1992
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Satoru, Ito, Hiroshi, Ichikawa, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US07/879,424
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.11, 250/227.21, 250/227.19, 324/96, 324/244.1, 343/703, 343/794, 343/795
• US Class Current: 250/227.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0885 using optical probes, e.g. electro-optical, luminescent, glow discharge, or optical interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/12 Measuring electrostatic fields or voltage-potential

Abstract

An apparatus measures the intensity of an electric field with a compact sensor equipped with a light modulater of a Mach-zender interferometer type and a condenser-type antenna. The sensor modulates coherent measuring lights propagated through branched two optical paths according to the voltage induced on the surfaces of plates of a condenser-type antenna of the sensor. The modulated lights are merged and interfered with each other and result in merged light different in intensity from the original measuring light. A waveguide-type optical integrated circuit formed in the sensor calculates the intensity of the merged light having the intensity dependent on the intensity of the magnetic field.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring an electric field intensity comprising:

light generating means for generating coherent measuring light;

a sensor disposed in the electric field for modulating a measuring light according to the intensity of the electric field and for outputting said modulated light;

an up-link optical fiber connecting between said light generating means and said sensor for guiding said measuring light into said sensor;

a down-link optical fiber for guiding said modulated light outside said sensor; and

intensity processing means disposed outside said sensor for processing said intensity of the electric field based on the degree of modulation of said measuring light inputted via said down-link optical fiber;

wherein

said sensor comprises a condenser-type antenna for detecting the electric field and outputting a voltage according to the intensity of the detected electric field, a waveguide-type optical integrated circuit in which a waveguide for propagating the inputted measuring light is formed, a light modulator, through which said waveguide extends, formed in said optical integrated circuit, and a light modulator electrode for applying the output voltage of said condenser-type antenna to said waveguide of said light modulator, whereby the measuring light is modulated according to the intensity of the electric field while the measuring light is propagated through said waveguide of said light modulator.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said waveguide is branched at a branch point into a first modulation waveguide and a second waveguide and merges at a merging point, and

said light modulator is adapted to apply positive and negative voltage which are outputted from said condenser-type antenna, to said first and second modulation waveguides respectively via said light modulation electrode to modulate the phases of branched measuring lights propagated through the respective modulation waveguides and to allow both lights to merge and interfere with one another at said merging point, thereby outputting the merging light whose intensity is modulated according to the electric field intensity.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light generating means comprises a laser light source for outputting coherent laser light, and an optical system for inputting said laser light to said up-link optical fiber.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said laser light source is a semiconductor laser.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said up-link optical fiber is a polarization maintaining fiber.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical integrated circuit is formed of LiNbO₃.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said condenser-type antenna comprises a pair of confronting antenna metal plates.

8. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said condenser-type antenna comprises a pair of confronting antenna metal plates.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said condenser-type antenna is an integrated antenna formed on a substrate of said optical integrated circuit by photolithography.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said condenser-type antenna is an integrated antenna formed on a substrate of said optical integrated circuit by photolithography.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said intensity processing means comprises a photo detector for converting the measuring light inputted via said down-link optical fiber, into an electrical signal and for outputting the electrical signal, and a signal processing circuit for calculating the intensity of the electric field based on the electrical signal outputted from said photo detector and for outputting said calculated intensity, and

said signal processing circuit comprises a low-pass filter for extracting a d.c. component from the output signal of said photo detector and outputting it, a detector for sampling and detecting, from the output signal of said photo detector, a target signal of a predetermined frequency to be measured, and a divider for dividing the output of said detector by the d.c. component outputted from said low-pass filter to eliminate a fluctuated component resulting from disturbance, thereby obtaining the intensity of said electric field.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising displaying means for displaying said intensity of the electric field calculated with said intensity processing means.