Distortion and pulse shaping of short electrical pulses from dispersion of microstrip lines
Photoconductive switches, using short optical pulses to generate or switch electrical pulses as short as a few picoseconds, are conveniently made by using gaps in microstrip transmission lines on semiconductors. The spectral width of the generated pulses is a few hundred gigahertz and the dominant, quasi-TEM mode of the microstrip is known to be dispersive over this frequency range. The pulses consequently change shape as they propagate along the strip. Calculations are made of this dispersion for a variety of dimensions and dielectrics. Gaussian pulses with picosecond widths may become seriously distorted in a few millimeters for a typical configuration. For a certain distance asymmetric pulses may become sharpened, so there is some possibility of useful pulse shaping by means of this dispersion. In addition to the dispersion arising from the geometric effects, there may be additional dispersion from conductor losses, radiation, or the dispersion in the dielectric. These last-mentioned effects are generally of second order importance for typical lines used, but calculations are made to show some of their effects upon the dispersion and pulse shaping.
- Research Organization:
- Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, and the Electronics Research Lab., Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- OSTI ID:
- 7100207
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-831015-
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States) Vol. 31:1; ISSN IETNA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CALCULATION METHODS
DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
DISPERSION RELATIONS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FREQUENCY RANGE
FUNCTION GENERATORS
FUNCTIONS
MATERIALS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
PHOTOCONDUCTORS
PULSE CIRCUITS
PULSE GENERATORS
PULSE SHAPERS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SIGNAL DISTORTION
SPECTRAL FUNCTIONS
SWITCHES
WAVE PROPAGATION