Kerr electro-optic measurements of nonuniform axisymmetric electric field distributions using point-plane electrodes

Abstract

Previously developed optical tomography theory for Kerr electro-optic measurements when an axisymmetric electric field magnitude and direction vary along the light path have shown that two characteristic parameters can be measured from each light ray. Knowledge of the characteristic parameters with the onion peeling method allows determination of the axisymmetric electric field distribution of magnitude and direction everywhere. This paper extends previous non-axisymmetric measurements which used a rectangular ground plane to new measurements with large diameter and small diameter circular ground planes below a hyperboloid of revolution needle electrode, with the whole system completely axisymmetric. Measurements with transformer oil are compared to space charge free theory with the improvement of averaging the theoretical electric field distribution over the cross sectional area of the light beam.