Electric field probes--A review

Abstract

Electric field probes consisting of a dipole antenna, RF detector, nonperturbing transmission line, and readout device have been implemented in a variety of ways. Three orthogonal dipoles are generally used in an E -field probe to provide a response which is nearly isotropic for all polarizations of the incident field. Diode detectors have been used with electrically short or resistivity loaded dipoles to produce very broadband devices (0.2 MHz to 26 GHz). Thermocouple detectors are used to provide true time-averaged data for high peak-power modulated fields. Optical fibers, together with a suitably modulated light source, may be used to form a wide-band nonperturbing data link from the dipole and detector to a remote readout. Application of E -field probes range from the measurement of fields in living animals exposed to nonionizing radiation to the measurement of fields in air for electromagnetic compatability or radiation safety purposes. Probes are available that can measure field strengths from less than 1 V/m to over 1000 V/m (rms).