High Sensitivity Optical Magnetometer

9360417 Lintz Optra将开发一种创新的磁场传感技术，该技术可为地球测量应用实现非常高的灵敏度，但与所有竞争的SQUID技术不同，它不需要任何冷却。新的磁力计使用最新开发的光学材料和Optra专有的干涉相位测量技术。该系统由一个只包含无源、非导电光学材料的小传感器头(2英寸立方体)和一个通过光纤连接在一起的光学/电子处理单元组成。传感头可以实现为一阶或二阶梯度传感器；然而，该技术的非凡线性和动态范围允许在地球直流磁场内进行高分辨率操作(不需要偏置磁场)。其工作原理是在一种先进的、高Verdet系数的光学晶体中精确测量光束的法拉第旋转。Optra已经使用10 mm长、1.5 mm直径的传感器元件演示了测量概念，并实现了0.5 nT/Hz的最小可检测场。在拟议计划期间的进一步开发将开发一种三轴传感器，并将性能提高到10~14T/Hz范围，可与SQUID传感器相媲美。传感器带宽从DC到50 kHz或更高。

9360417 Lintz OPTRA will develop an innovative magnetic field sensing technique that achieves very high sensitivity for earth surveying applications, but unlike all competing SQUID technologies, does not require any cooling. The new magtometer uses newly developed optical materials and OPTRA's proprietary interferometric phase measurement technique. The system consists of a small sensor head (2 inch cube) containing only passive, non conductive optical materials and an optical/electronic processing unit connected together via optical fiber. The sensor head can be implemented as a first or second order gradient sensor; however, the extraordinary linearity and dynamic range of the technique allows high resolution operation within the earth's DC magnetic field (field biasing is not required). The operating principle is the accurate measurement of the Faraday rotation of an optical beam in an advanced, high Verdet coefficient, optical crystal. OPTRA has demonstrated the measurement concept with a 10 mm long by 1.5 mm diameter transducer element and achieved 0.5 nT/ Hz minimum detectable field. Further development during the proposed program will develop a three axis sensor and improve the performance to the 10 14 T/Hz range, comparable to SQUID sensors. The sensor bandwidth is from DC to 50 kHz or more.