Patent ID: 8358415

Claim:
An apparatus for measuring an electric field while minimally perturbing the electric field being measured, the apparatus comprising: a probe beam stage having a laser, wherein the laser emits a laser probe beam passing through an electro optic crystal, having an optic axis, exposed to the electric field; a sensor head forming an electro optic sensor that detects the electric field, wherein the sensor head is optically coupled to the probe beam stage by a first optical fiber lead, wherein the sensor head includes a holder, wherein residing in the holder is a first polarizer, a second polarizer, and the electro optic crystal between two collimating lenses, wherein the electro optic crystal is disposed in the holder at a tilt angle Theta about the optic axis of the electro optic crystal, such that the tilt angle Theta is subtended between the optic axis and the path of the probe beam; and a photodetector that receives the laser probe beam and converts the laser probe beam into an electrical signal which is displayed on an RF readout instrument obtaining measurements of the electric field for system warnings, activation of countermeasures, and activation of communications systems, and wherein the photodetector is optically coupled to the sensor head by a second optical fiber lead.