FIBER-OPTIC MAGNETIC FIELD SENSORS REQUIRE BULK CRYSTAL SENSOR ELEMENTS WITH HIGHER SENSITIVITY AND BETTER THERMAL STABILITY THAN PRESENTLY AVAILABLE.

FIBER-OPTIC MAGNETIC FIELD SENSORS REQUIRE BULK CRYSTAL SENSOR ELEMENTS WITH HIGHER SENSITIVITY AND BETTER THERMAL STABILITY THAN PRESENTLY AVAILABLE. RARE-EARTH IRON GARNET SINGLE CRYSTALS HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING THESE CHARACTERISTICS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE A VAST NUMBER OF REIG COMPOSITIONS POSSIBLE. ALTHOUGH SOME COMPOSITIONS ARE BEINGREPORTED ON, PARTICULARLY BY FOREIGN SCIENTISTS, THEY ARE NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE. DELTRONIC CRYSTAL INDUSTRIES PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE NEW, IMPROVED REIG COMPOSITIONS RAPIDLY AND ECONOMICALLY BY ADAPTING A TECHNIQUE THAT IS CURRENTLY USED FOR PRODUCTION OF SIMILAR CRYSTALS FOR OPTICAL ISOLATOR APPLICATIONS. IN PHASE 1, FEASIBILITY OF A UNIQUE METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS PREPARATION OF A BROAD RANGE OF COMPOSITIONS WILL BE INVESTIGATED. TEST RUNS WILL BE MADE INCORPORATING KNOWN SENSITIVITY-ENHANCING IONS, SUCH AS BISMUTH AND GALLIUM, INTO AN YTTRIUM IRON GARNET HOST CRYSTAL. THE CONTRACTOR WILL FABRICATE AND TEST THE NEW COMPOSITIONS FOR PROPERTIES RELEVANT TO BOTH SENSOR USE AND THE METHOD OF SYNTHESIS. IF SUCCESSFUL IN PHASE 1, WE WILL HAVE AN INVALUABLE TOOL FOR THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF REIG COMPOSITIONS. PHASE 2WILL DETERMINE BOTH OPTIMIZED MATERIALS AND PREFERRED CONDITIONS FOR THEIR SYNTHESIS, LEADING TO AN EXPECTED HUNDRED-FOLD IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICE SENSITIVITY.