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

Volume

13

Issue

7

fYear

1995

fDate

7/1/1995 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1385

Lastpage

1395

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;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/50.400703

Filename

400703