Mapping of intense magnetic fields based on polarization sensitive reflectometry in single mode optical fibers

We describe a distributed fiber optic technique which is able to measure strength and orientation of intense static magnetic fields by using commercial available single optical fiber. The sensor is based on Faraday rotation and on the analysis of the state of polarization of Rayleigh backscattering. The small Verdet constant of standard silica fibers makes the proposed technique most suited to intense magnetic fields in harsh environments like nuclear plants, high-power lines and high-power transformers.