Integrated High-Sensitivity Electric Field Sensors Made from Superior EO Thin Films

Non-intrusive E-field probes with better sensitivity and higher frequency responses are needed in military missions for measuring and characterizing high power microwave (HPM) effects on test objects and targets. However, no device is currently fulfilling all the requirements for HPM characterization. Part of the bottleneck is due to the lack of materials with significantly better characteristics for high-frequency, high-sensitivity EO devices. Recent breakthrough on preparing functional thin film materials at Boston Applied Technologies Incorporated (BATi) has opened a new area for electro-optic devices capable for HPM characterizations. With many years' effort of development in materials composition and thin film growth techniques, BATi has set a new standard of electro-optic film benchmark, which characterized superior electro-optic effect, low optical loss and consistent composition. Based on very recent progresses on electro-optic thin-film technology, BATi proposes to develop integrated high-frequency and high-sensitivity electric field sensors fulfilling all the requirements of this solicitation. In the phase I project, we will use these thin-film materials, along with unique device structure, to fabricate E-field prototype sensors. The resultant E-field sensors are expected to have high sensitivity, large bandwidth, and low-cost. BENEFITS: This high sensitivity and large bandwidth E-field sensor will have immediate military use for non-intrusive probes for measuring and characterizing high power microwave effects on test objects and targets. The developed sensors also have broad civil or dual-use applications such as EM field testing on electro-magnetic compliance (EMC) and electro-magnetic-interference (EMI) shielding for the telecommunication and broadcast industries, power-line monitoring for energy distribution, and surveillance with Homeland Security.