E-field measurements in the near-field of transmitting antennas using an integrated electro-optical sensor

For the first time to our knowledge we present an E-field measurement of the tangential component |E_x| in the near-field of a dipole antenna, using an integrated optical E-field sensor based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer in lithium niobate (LiNbO ₃). In comparison with conventional sensors the advantages of an integrated optical E-field sensor are the omission of metallic leads and the relatively small dimensions, resulting in reduced field perturbations. Due to the high substrate permittivity the sensor is well suited for measurements in liquids