摘要 |
An optical magnetometer for measuring the component h of a magnetic field in a direction x by the Faraday effect. A semiconductor laser produces two laser beams which are directed from opposite faces of the laser in opposite directions along two fiber optic cables. The opposite beams of light enter a magneto-optical medium and then continue via the opposite fiber optic cable to return to the laser where the two light beams are recoupled. An alternating magnetic field at frequency f and a compensation field are applied to the magneto-optical medium in a direction parallel to the direction x to produce the Faraday effect. The laser intensity of the recoupled light beams is proportional to the magnetic field to be measured. A photodetector samples portions of the recoupled light beam and provides a current id which is proportional to the recoupled beam intensity. The current id is filtered at frequencies f, for compensating the field h to be measured, and 2f. The magneto-optical medium used is preferably formed by a substituted YIG ferrimagnetic layer, grown by epitaxy on a non-magnetic garnet.
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