Abstract

One of the electric-field measurement methods without intrusiveness uses the Kerr electro-optic effect. This method can be widely applied to gas, liquid, and solid materials, which are transparent and electrically birefringent. However, this method has not been adequately developed as yet for practical measurement of nonuniform three-dimensional electric fields. We describe a Kerr electro-optic measurement method for nonuniform three-dimensional dc and ac electric fields that employs localized multi-ac modulation, taking into account the effect of the observing (laser-beam) direction on the apparent electric field.

© 1995 Optical Society of America

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