Internal magnetic field measurements by laser-based POlarimeter-INTerferometer (POINT) system on EAST

A multi-channel far-infrared laser-based POlarimeter-INTerferometer (POINT) system utilizing the three-wave technique has been implemented for fully diagnosing the internal magnetic field in the EAST tokamak. Double-pass, horizontal, radially-viewing chords access the plasma via an equatorial port. The laser source consists of three CW formic acid (HCOOH) FIR lasers at nominal wavelength 432.5 μm which are optically pumped by independent infrared CO₂ lasers. Output power is more than 30 mW of per cavity. Novel molybdenum retro-reflectors, can with withstand baking temperature up to 350°C and discharge duration more than 1000 s, are mounted in the inside wall for the double-pass optical arrangement. A Digital Phase Detector with 250 kHz bandwidth, which provide real-time Faraday rotation angle and density phase shift output for plasma control, have been developed for the POINT system. Reliability of both polarimetric and interferometric measurement are obtained in 22 s long pulse H mode discharge and 8 s NBI H mode discharge, indicating the POINT system works for any heating scheme on EAST so far. The electron line-integrated density resolution of POINT is less than 1 × 10¹⁶ m^-2 (< 1°), and the Faraday rotation angle rms phase noise is < 0.1°. With the high temporal (∼ 1 μsec) and phase resolution (< 0.1°), perturbations associated with the sawtooth cycle and MHD activity have been observed. The current profile, density profile and safety factor (q) profile are reconstructed by using EFIT code from the external magnetic and the validation POINT data. Realtime EFIT with Faraday angle and density phase shift constraints will be implemented in the plasma control system in the future.