10ps optoelectronic sampling system

Abstract

Mode-locked laser pulses of less than 10 ps duration are used to switch electrical gates made from microstrip line on high-resistivity silicon, in 10 ps. These gates can generate steps and pulses of around 100 V with 10 ps rise and fall times. Sampling can also be accomplished with a 10 ps aperture. By combining a group of such gates, along with the generation of appropriate laser pulses and timing signals, a sampling system is formed. Simple time-domain reflectometry measurements are made to demonstrate the system and to show that practical transitions to these gates can be made for signals at least up to 35 GHz.