Optimal electro-optic sensor configuration for phase noise limited, remote field sensing applications

Abstract

Electro-optic (EO) sensors, used for the nonperturbative detection of electric fields, are typically configured to modulate an optical probe beam along a crystal direction in which the EO tensor coefficient is largest. However in fiber optic EO sensors, such configurations can be strongly limited by phase noise and cumbersome compensation optics. Our results demonstrate that a greater signal to noise ratio can be achieved by modulating along a crystal direction of low static birefringence, even when the active EO tensor coefficient is several times smaller.