Patent ID: 6621258
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A device for measuring an electric field emanating from an energized conductor without being in direct electrical contact with the energized conductor, the device comprising:a beam displacer having an input element and a first output element and a second output element, the input element configured to receive an input beam and the first output element and the second output element configured to provide a first output beam and a second output beam, wherein the beam displacer separates the input beam into a first input beam component and a second input beam component which are orthogonally related, wherein the beam displacer has beam displacer axes; a crystal, having crystal axes, connected with the beam displacer and oriented such that the crystal axes are offset from the beam displacer axes by an orientation angle, wherein the first input beam component is received into the crystal and subjected to the electric field such that the first input beam component exhibits elliptical polarization having a major axis component and a minor axis component; and reflecting means for reflecting the first input beam component back through the crystal towards the beam displacer, wherein the beam displacer separates the major axis component and the minor axis component into the first output beam and the second output beam, wherein the first and second output beams are directed to the first and second output elements, whereby the voltage is determinable by evaluating the first and second output beams.