Capacitance Definitions for Parametric Operation (Correspondence)

The purpose of this note is to reconcile the various definitions of nonlinear or equivalent time-varying capacitance which appear in the literature concerned with parametric devices. The problem considered is one of a nonlinear reactive element, let us say a capacitance, which is pumped by strong pump source at frequency f/sub p/ and which couples two circuit modes at frequencies f/sub s and f/sub i/, usually called the signal and idling frequencies. For parametric operation we demand either f/sub p/=f/sub l/ + f/sub s/ or f/sub p/ = f/sub l - f/sub s/.