Electric-field Vector Measurement with Fiber-mounted Electro-optic Probe

Abstract

We have developed an electric-field vector measurement system that operates by scanning with a sensitivity-stabilized fiber-mounted electro-optic (EO) probe. This system can map the electric-field distribution in an area ten times larger than that with a conventional EO probe. Since the properties (e.g. sensitivity and directivity) of a longitudinal and transverse-detection probe are the same, a combination of the electric fields measured with each probe provides the electric-field vector. The intensity and phase distribution of the electric fields measured on each orthogonal axis represent an asymmetric shape of a planer circuit with a Vivaldi antenna, which cannot be calculated by the simulation with an ideal model. The vector spatial field calculated from the measured electric field shows the electric-field dynamics above and around the planar circuit. Consequently, the visualization of the vector spatial field based on measurements obtained with the fiber-mounted EO probe provides intuitive analyses and diagnoses of circuit and antenna performance.