A Magnetometer Based on Magneto-Optical Effects for Space Applications

Accurate measurements of magnetic fields in geospace are necessary to address fundamental problems of modern space physics that have an important application in relation to human technological systems, and inform satellite design and operations. Future space exploration will benefit from highly sensitive magnetometers able to measure magnetic fields over a large range of frequencies. Although there are many magnetometer designs used in space in the past sixty years, two of the most common in historical and current missions are the fluxgate magnetometer and the search-coil magnetometer. These designs present a few limitations: the fluxgate magnetometer measures low frequencies and the search-coil magnetometer measures high frequencies, meaning two devices must be used to cover a wide bandwidth of frequencies. To prevent the interference of the signals from two instruments, the sensors need to be separated and placed on two booms, which presents technological issues, for example, maintaining stable satellite attitude and position. A miniature magneto-optical magnetometer (MiniMag) based on the Faraday effect addresses these limitations. It can measure a wide range of frequencies (from DC to tens of kHz) with a single instrument, has a high saturation field threshold, and radiation stability. The magneto-optical magnetometer also addresses the need for a sensitive and compact magnetometer as part of a trend toward miniaturization of instruments for CubeSats and satellite constellations. The proposed instrument is suitable for the variety of future Heliophysics missions which require magnetic field measurements, for example, NASA's Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) and HelioSwarm missions, both producing insights into space weather processes and involving multi-point field measurements. It is also appropriate for planetary missions to Uranus and Jupiter. This investigation directly addresses the decadal survey goal "Determine the dynamics and coupling of Earth's magnetosphere...". MiniMag will "Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system" by observing magnetic fields at various temporal resolutions and therefore, be applicable to large-scale magnetic field mapping, physics of mesoscale magnetic field structures and kinetic-scale processes in Earth's magnetosphere and beyond. It will also "Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers ..." by measuring magnetic field variations during geomagnetic storms. The proposed Instrument Technology Development effort will advance MiniMag from TRL 2-3 to TRL 6 by 1) optimizing the sensor to achieve noise floor and sensitivity within a factor of ten of that attained by existing scientific fluxgate and search coil sensors, 2) providing magnetic field measurements from DC to 40 kHz, 3) building a compact 1-axis magnetometer instrument suitable for CubeSat and smallsat applications.

Support NASA's Heliophysics strategic science objectives to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. This will be achieved by developing/demonstrating instrumentation technology necessary to address the following science goals: Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system; Advance our understanding of the connections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system; Develop the knowledge and capability to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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