Nobuki Itoh

Small optical magnetic-field sensor that uses rare-earth iron garnet films based on the Faraday effect

Highly accurate optical magnetic-field probe sensors that use iron garnet films have been developed. New probe-type sensors were designed with a confocal optical system. A new garnet composition, Bi(0.98)Gd(0.92)La(0.03)Y(1.07)Fe(4.72)Ga(0.28)O(12), was found that shows high temperature stability for a sensitivity of less than 2.0% from -20 to +80 degrees C. The linearity error of the sensor output was within 1.0% for alternating magnetic fields from 0.3 to 42 mT. An optical current transformer that uses the proposed sensor has an ac linearity of 1.0% for input current up to nearly 300 A. The sensor realized high performance in actual use.

Optical Fiber Current Sensors Using Garnet Crystal for Power Distribution Fields

We introduce applied examples (already put to practical use) of power distribution fields of optical fiber current sensors using iron garnet crystal that have high sensitivity, high linearity and stable temperature characteristics. We also describe two types of new optical fiber current sensors developed recently aimed at cost reduction and high performance.