DYNAMIC-RANGE OF AN ELECTROOPTIC FIELD SENSOR AND ITS IMAGING APPLICATIONS

We report the measurement of the dynamics of free-space electro-optic field sensors for pulsed electromagnetic wave radiation. With an optic al probe power spanning six decades of linearily and excellent signal- to-noise ratio (SNR), it is feasible to convert a far-infrared 2D imag e into an optical 2D image. A simple estimation indicates that 100 mW of optical probe power can achieve an image of 256 x 256 pixels with a 50 pA signal current per pixel and a SNR > 200. We also present a com parison measurement of an ultrafast photoconductive antenna and an ele ctro-optic sensor crystal. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.