Field Sensors

Voss Scientific's SIE-100 Self-Integrating E-Field Sensor measures electric fields with less than 50 ps risetimes at bandwidth exceeding 6 GHz. The SIE-100 is constructed of a stainless steel body with an insulated sensing element to form a simple capacitive electric field sensor with an output proportional to the applied E field for short duration waveforms. This geometry's 500-1,000 pF capacitance allows direct waveform measurement of nanosecond duration or shorter, making it ideal for diagnosing pulsed microwave sources and high-voltage pulse generators.

The SIE-100 provides large attenuation of the input electric field to easily monitor very intense electric fields. The 3 mV per kV/m sensitivity avoids overvoltage of the output connectors, cabling, and recording instruments.

The SIE-100 mounts in parallel plate transmission lines or large-diameter coaxial lines, and connects to measurement instruments via a standard SMA connector. Its 1-32 UN mounting thread enables it to be installed flush with transmission line surfaces, eliminating perturbation of the measured electric field.

The mount can incorporate O-rings for applications in which gas or oil seals are needed to pressures of several thousand psi. Although the SIE-100 includes a calibration factor for immersion in air, the calibration factor must be adjusted by the square root of the fluid's dielectric constant if immersed in such fluids as oil.

 For applications that require pulse recording durations exceeding a few nanoseconds, the following analytic correction procedure can be applied to the SIE-100's measured output: $$E(t) = k \cdot Vout(t) + \frac{1}{t} \int^t_0 k \cdot Vout(t) dt$$ in which k is the sensor sensitivity (volts/(volt/meter)); and t is the sensor time constant (product of the sensor capacitance and load impedance). An example of correcting the sensor response for a long-duration pulse is shown.
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