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Measurement of very high resistivities using electrooptic crystals.
Applied Optics
|March 12, 2010
Summary
Accurately measure high electrical resistances using electrooptic crystals. This method monitors voltage-induced birefringence to detect small currents without extra paths, achieving resistances up to 10^16 Ohms.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Optics
Background:
- Accurate measurement of high electrical resistance is crucial in various scientific and engineering fields.
- Traditional methods can be limited by noise and the introduction of parallel current paths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, highly sensitive method for measuring high electrical resistances.
- To demonstrate the capability of electrooptic crystals for precise electrical property characterization.
Main Methods:
- Placing the material sample between conducting plates connected to an electrooptic crystal.
- Charging the plates and optically monitoring the voltage-induced birefringence in the crystal.
- Correlating birefringence changes to the sample's resistance via monitored conduction currents.
Main Results:
- Successfully measured high resistances up to 10^16 Ohms.
- Demonstrated accurate monitoring of very small conduction currents.
- The method avoids introducing additional current paths, enhancing measurement integrity.
Conclusions:
- Electrooptic crystals provide a highly accurate and sensitive platform for measuring high electrical resistances.
- This technique offers a non-invasive approach to characterizing material electrical properties.
- The method is suitable for a wide range of applications requiring precise resistance measurements.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Resistivity
When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electrical field is generated, and charges in the conductor feel the force due to the electrical field. The current density that results depends on the electrical field and the properties of the material. In some materials, including metals at a given temperature, the current density is approximately proportional to the electrical field. In these cases, the current density can be modeled as:
01:26Susceptibility, Permittivity and Dielectric Constant
When placed in an external electric field, a dielectric material gets polarized. The charge density in the dielectric material is given by the sum of the bound and free charge densities, while the total charge density can also be written in terms of the total electric field. The bound charge density can be measured in terms of polarization, leading to the relationship between electric displacement and polarization.