MINIATURIZED ELECTRO/MAGNETO-OPTIC SENSORS FOR THE DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT OF BROADBAND RF PULSES

An innovative electromagnetic wave detection and measurement system based on broadband, non-intrusive, miniaturized electro-optic (EO) and magneto-optic (MO) sensors will be developed in order to evaluate the effects caused by short duration burst or pulsed EM waves incident on electronic circuits. Due to the compact size and non-metallic construction, the EO and MO sensors can be placed within close proximity to the circuit under observation, and their measurement bandwidth and spatial resolution can be greater 100 GHz and less than 10 microns, respectively. The EO and MO sensors will be designed and fabricated during the Phase I of STTR project, and entire system hardware and software development will be completed during the Phase II. Upon its successful realization through the effort of this STTR project, the EO/MO sensor system is expected to provide an unprecedented capability for EM monitoring of complex electronics in a broad range of applications, particularly when the electronics are exposed to externally generated time-varying EM waves. The information from the EO/MO sensor system will reveal the actual EM transients created by incident RF pulses, where such signals may lead to temporary malfunction or permanent damage of sophisticated electronic systems.