Fiber optic current sensor

Abstract

A current sensor having an optmized optical fiber coil for sensing the magnetic field of a current of wire passing by or through the coil. The coil is optimally spun such that a particular ratio of the spin rate to the intrinsic polarization beat length is such for best maintenance of the circular polarization state of the light in the coil. The coil fiber may also be Terbium doped for greater sensitivity. The phase or birefringence modulation of the light may be piezoelectric or electro-optic. A Faraday rotator may be used in place of those modulators. The system may be open loop or closed loop. The feedback scheme may be via the modulator or the phase nulling current affecting the sensing coil.