A method for determining a rotational orientation change using an NMR gyroscope includes making use of a measure of determining, in a vapor cell, which is filled at least with a gaseous first element and a gaseous second element having non-vanishing nuclear spin, a nuclear spin component of the second element in the second direction and a nuclear spin component of the second element in a third direction. The second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to a first direction, which corresponds to the direction of the static magnetic field and to the polarization direction of the nuclear spin of the second element. Moreover, the second direction corresponds to the direction of an applied alternating magnetic field, the frequency of which corresponds to the Larmor frequency of the Larmor precession of the nuclear spin of the second element about the static magnetic field.

An optical fiber winding for measuring current circulating through a conductor. The optical fiber winding includes a first helically wound optical fiber cable and a second helically wound optical fiber cable. The first helically wound optical fiber cable is twisted about its longitudinal axis in a first twist direction, and the second helically wound optical fiber cable is twisted about its longitudinal axis in a second twist direction, the first twist direction being opposite the second twist direction. Each of the first and second helically wound optical fiber cables making contact with one another at multiple locations along their length. Due to the first and second helically wound optical fiber cables making contact with one another and being twisted in opposite directions, counteracting forces exist where the first and second helically wound optical fiber cables contact one another to resist an untwisting.

An optical fiber winding for measuring current circulating through a conductor. The optical fiber winding includes a first helically wound optical fiber cable and a second helically wound optical fiber cable. The first helically wound optical fiber cable is twisted about its longitudinal axis in a first twist direction, and the second helically wound optical fiber cable is twisted about its longitudinal axis in a second twist direction, the first twist direction being opposite the second twist direction. Each of the first and second helically wound optical fiber cables making contact with one another at multiple locations along their length. Due to the first and second helically wound optical fiber cables making contact with one another and being twisted in opposite directions, counteracting forces exist where the first and second helically wound optical fiber cables contact one another to resist an untwisting.

A magneto-optical sensor for sensing a current flowing through a conductor includes a light source capable of providing a linearly-polarised optical beam, and a polarisation analyser configured to perform a differential measurement of two polarisation components of the linearly-polarised optical beam having travelled along an optical path arranged between the light source and the polarisation analyser. The optical path forms a closed trajectory around the conductor. The sensor comprises a cell containing an atomic gas arranged along the optical path.

A structure for magnetic flux sensor conditioning is presented which partitions an input analog signal of unknown integrity into two: susceptible and insusceptible. The structure scrutinizes the susceptible signal partition, in view of additional guard sensor information, through a mixed-signal processing side-chain that employs a non-invasive physical magnetic attack detection algorithm. The side-chain either validates, or replaces with a best estimate, the susceptible signal partition, depending upon the absence or presence of attack, respectively. The structure finally recombines the scrutinized susceptible signal partition with the insusceptible signal partition. The result is an analog magnetic flux sensor signal that is robust against skillful, surreptitious, spoofing attacks. If unmitigated, such attacks may induce catastrophic consequences into systems relying upon the magnetic flux sensor.

A chip-type three-dimensional magnetic field sensor includes a light source (1), an input straight waveguide (2), a polarization beam splitting waveguide (3), a 1:1 power beam splitter (4), three 1:2 type Y waveguides, three 2:1 type Y waveguides, three output straight waveguides, three magneto-optical waveguides and three photodetectors. The light source (1) outputs broad-spectrum depolarized light into the input straight waveguide (2), and then the light is divided into TE (transverse electric) polarized light and TM (transverse magnetic) polarized light. The TE polarized light is divided into two beams of TE polarized branch light. The TM polarized light is divided into two beams of TM polarized branch light. One of the two beams of TM polarized branch light is divided into two beams of first TM polarized sub-branch light. Another of the two beams of TM polarized branch light is divided into two beams of second TM polarized sub-branch light.

Sub-diffraction limited magneto-optical microscopy, such as Kerr or Faraday effect microscopy, provide many advantages to fields of science and technology for measuring, or imaging, the magnetization structures and magnetization domains of materials. Disclosed is a method and system for performing sub-diffraction limited magneto-optic microscopy. The method includes positioning a microlens or microlens layer relative to a surface of a sample to image the surface of the sample, forming a photonic nanojet to probe the surface of the sample, and receiving light reflected by the surface of the sample or transmitted through the sample at an imaging sensor. The methods and associated systems and devices enable sub-diffraction limited imaging of magnetic domains at resolutions 2 to 8 times the classical diffraction limit.

One example includes a sensor system. A cell system includes a pump laser which generates a pump beam to polarize alkali metal vapor enclosed within a sensor cell. A detection system includes a probe laser to generate a probe beam. The detection system can calculate at least one measurable parameter based on characteristics of the probe beam passing through the sensor cell resulting from precession of the polarized alkali metal vapor in response to an applied magnetic field. A pump beam control system pulse-width modulates a frequency of the pump beam to provide a pulse-width modulated (PWM) pump beam, and controls a duty-cycle of the PWM pump beam based on the characteristics of the probe beam passing through the sensor cell in a feedback manner to control polarization uniformity of the alkali metal vapor and to mitigate the effects of AC Stark shift on the at least one measurable parameter.

Systems and methods for imaging characteristics of a sample and for identifying regions of damage in the sample are generally described. Some example systems and methods for non-destructive evaluation of regions of material may operate in a direct current (DC) mode in which the system directly images regions of material where weak structural damage has occurred by imaging a self magnetic field generated by a DC electric current coupled through the material. Some example systems may operate in an alternating current (AC) mode to image regions of material where damage has occurred by generating a time varying magnetic field due to AC excitation coils inducing eddy currents in the sample, and imaging a magnetic field generated by the eddy currents around the regions of damage. The systems may use magneto-optical imaging techniques (MOI) to measure and map the magnetic field and channels of current flow in the material, for example.

A magnetic field sensor element 1 includes a light emitter 10 emitting a first linearly polarized light, a first optical element 20 emitting a first linearly polarized wave and the second linearly polarized wave in response to a first linearly polarized light incident, and emitting a second linearly polarized light in response to a third linearly polarized wave and the a linearly polarized wave incident, at least one pair of magnetic field sensor elements 50 capable of disposing in a predetermined magnetic field across the measured conductor, having a light transmissive, changing the phase of transmitted light in accordance with the magnetic field, and fixing a relative position therebetween, an optical path 30 including a first optical path propagating the first linearly polarized wave and the fourth linearly polarized wave, and a second optical path propagating the second linearly polarized wave and the third linearly polarized wave, and connected to the first optical element and the magnetic field sensor element, a detected signal generator 60 outputting a detected signal corresponding to the magnetic field, by receiving two components of the second linearly polarized light, and converting to the electrical signal, and an optical branching element transmitting the first linearly polarized light to the first optical element and branching the second linearly polarized light to the detected signal generator.