Electro-optic pockels cell voltage sensors for accelerator diagnostics

Abstract

Three prototype electro-optic Pockels cell voltage sensors were fabricated, each using a different electro-optic crystal. These sensors were to be used in an electron particle accelerator with a pulse length outside of the working range of operation for current electrical B-dot probes. The three crystals of interest were bismuth germanium oxide (BGO), bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) and zinc selenide (ZnSe). Each crystal was bench tested at two different wavelengths to determine sensitivity. BSO was shown to be the most sensitive to voltage, followed by ZnSe. BGO was shown to be the least sensitive to voltage but its other characteristics made it a better choice for voltage sensor use in the accelerator environment.