Patent ID: 6388434
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A system, in an environment having a voltage and an electric field, for measuring the voltage, the system comprising:(a) a detector comprising: (i) a light source for generating an input beam; and (ii) a first and second photo detector for receiving a first and second output beam; and (b) a sensor operably connected to the detector, the sensor comprising: (i) a crystal for receiving a first component of the input beam, wherein the crystal is oriented in the electric field such that the first component experiences a phase differential to produce an elliptically polarized output beam; and (ii) a beam displacer connected to the crystal and oriented at an angle with respect to the crystal, wherein the beam displacer: (A) receives the input beam from the light source and separates the input beam into the first and second components, wherein the first and second components are orthogonal and the first component impinges the crystal at the angle; and (B) receives the elliptically polarized output beam from the crystal and separates the elliptically polarized output beam into the first and second output beams which represent a major axis and a minor axis of the elliptically polarized output beam; and (c) a signal processor for receiving at least one signal from the first and second photo detectors, wherein the signal processor computes the voltage from the at least one signal.