Picosecond Optical Techniques For MMIC Characterization And Control

Ultrafast optical techniques using photoconductive (PC) switches have demonstrated microwave/millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) characterization, millimeter-wave (MMW) signal generation, and true-time phase-shift delay. Using microwave/optical intermixing techniques, phaselock of voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), waveform display of microwave signal, and device characterization have also been achieved. This paper presents some of the recent accomplishments in these areas, and their potential applications MMIC manufacturing, real-time network analyzer measurements,and signal generation and controls in microwave systems.