A new multi-channel heterodyne polarimeter for plasma current and electron density measurements

A spatially-scanning phase-sensitive heterodyne far-infrared (FIR) polarimeter/interferometer for measurement of plasma current and electron densities is described. The instrument utilizes a rotating diffraction grating wheel for the dual purpose of spatially scanning the plasma cross section and providing a Doppler frequency offset for heterodyne detection purposes. Only two detectors are required to obtain accurate interferometric and polarimetric information for 15 discrete spatial chords. A novel approach to the optical processing of the initially linearly polarized probe beam allows the Faraday rotation of the vibrational ellipse to be unambiguously encoded as a phase modulation on the intermediate frequency carrier signals extracted from the two detectors. The plasma birefringence can be recovered from the corresponding amplitude modulation.