Title :
Multichannel fiber-optic magnetometer system for undersea measurements
Author :
Bucholtz, Frank ; Villarruel, Carl A ; Davis, Allen R. ; Kirkendall, Clay K. ; Dagenais, Dominique M. ; McVicker, James A. ; Patrick, Scott S. ; Koo, Kee P. ; Wang, Gunnar ; Valo, Hilde ; Lund, Terje ; Andersen, Arne Gunnar ; Gjessing, Robin ; Eidem, Elle
Author_Institution :
Div. of Opt. Sci., Naval Res. Lab., Washington, DC, USA
fDate :
7/1/1995 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We have designed, fabricated, and operated an undersea array of eight fiber-optic vector magnetometers. Each magnetometer consists of three magnetostrictive transducers aligned on orthogonal axes and incorporated in a single Michelson interferometer. During undersea operation, each interferometer exhibited less than 1 μrad/√ Hz phase noise, and the self-noise of each magnetic transducer was less than 0.2 nT/√ Hz at 0.1 Hz. We discuss the design and performance of the optical system including noise mechanisms. We present the results of magnetic measurements of the geomagnetic field and the magnetic tracking of ships
Keywords :
Michelson interferometers; fibre optic sensors; geomagnetism; light interferometers; magnetometers; magnetostrictive devices; military equipment; optical design techniques; optical fabrication; optical noise; optical tracking; phase noise; transducers; fiber-optic vector magnetometer undersea array; geomagnetic field; magnetic measurements; magnetic ship tracking; magnetic transducer; magnetometer design; magnetometer fabrication; magnetostrictive transducers; multichannel fiber-optic magnetometer system; noise mechanisms; phase noise; self-noise; single Michelson interferometer; undersea measurements; undersea operation; Geomagnetism; Magnetic noise; Magnetic variables measurement; Magnetometers; Magnetostriction; Optical design; Optical interferometry; Optical noise; Phase noise; Transducers;
Journal_Title :
Lightwave Technology, Journal of
