Fiber Optic Magnetic Sensor Development

Abstract

We review the development of magnetic sensors based on fiber optic technology including magnetostrictive and Faraday rotation sensors. Magnetostrictive sensors utilize fiber interferometers to measure the field-induced change in length of a transducing material. in Faraday rotation sensors, an external magnetic field causes a rotation of linearly polarized light propagating in the fiber itself. The working principles, advantages, and limitations of each technique are presented and current research and development efforts are summarized.