Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Pierre-Alain Chollet

Jean Messier

Francois Kajzar

A Pockels effect electric field sensor includes, as a sensitive element, a crystal with electro-optic properties traversed by a luminous beam with specific polarization and propagation directions. The crystal is cut into the shape of an ellipsoid (14) and has a crystallographic symmetry being either uniaxial 622, 422 or 42m or cubic 43m or 23, the three perpendicular axes of the ellipsoid being orientated along three trirectangular crystallographic axes with the highest symmetry of the crystal. The sensor includes at least one measuring channel which includes a monochromatic light source (2) emitting an incident beam (4), a polarizing device (6) for polarizing the incident beam along a first crystallographic direction of the crystal, inlet fiber and lens (8, 12) for introducing the polarized incident beam into the crystal along a second crystallographic direction, an analyzing device (30) for analyzing the luminous beam emerging from the crystal, and a detection device (32) for detecting the analyzed luminous signal.

Improved electro-optical crystal

A device for measuring electric fields mainly comprises a laser and a probe provided with a centrosymmetric polymer sheet permitting the generation, under the action of the field, of the second harmonic of the emitted wavelength. Optical fibers carry the incident and reflected waves of the laser to the probe and then to an optical measuring cascade. This device is of particular interest for measuring the electric fields between high voltage coaxial cables.

Growing community of inventors

Clamart, France

Pierre-Alain Chollet