Abstract

Conventional purely electronic measurement instruments such as vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers and sampling oscilloscopes are not effective at above 100 GHz. One major limitation is imposed by the connectors and waveguides needed for signal coupling between the test instrument and the device under test. To overcome those limitations of present measurement techniques, we have developed a photoconductive probe sampling technique which can be applied to the measurement of S-parameters of mm- wave circuit components with a 120-GHz measurement bandwidth [1]. The photoconductive probe sampling technique combines the ultrafast optical technology of 120-fs Ti-Sapphire short pulse laser [2] and microfabrication technology of Silicon-On-Sapphire (SOS) photoconductive sampling probe, which consists of a high-impedance interdigitated photoconductive switch. The probe technology has demonstrated a 2.1 ps temporal resolution and low-invasiveness making this very attractive for external circuit testing of mm-wave circuits with a 120-GHz measurement bandwidth.

© 1993 Optical Society of America