Patent ID: 6492800
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A sensor system for sensing voltage by monitoring an E-field created by the voltage, said sensor system comprising:transmitting means for transmitting at least one beam of polarized electromagnetic radiation, said at least one beam having at least two components including a first component and a second component propagating along two orthogonal planes, respectively, to form at least two orthogonal beam components; transducer means for sensing the presence of an E-field and inducing a differential phase shift on the at least two orthogonal beam components when said transducer means is in said E-field; phase rotation means configured to rotate a phase of the at least one beam; detecting means for detecting said differential phase shift of said at least two orthogonal beam components, wherein the detecting means for detecting said differential phase shift of said at least two orthogonal beam components comprises: beam splitting means for splitting said at least one beam into a first beam comprising said first component and a second beam comprising said second component, and means for combining said first beam and said second beam to obtain a sum of the first and second beams including phase modification means for altering at least one of the first and second beams so that the first and second beams are in phase.