A 100 GHz AM and PM noise measurement system: preliminary design and performance

A 100 GHz AM and PM noise measurement system is described. The basic approach to its construction is to apply existing state-of-the-art, cross-correlation noise measurement techniques to 100 GHz (W-band). The system uses two amplitude-noise and phase-noise detectors operating in parallel with cross-correlation spectrum analysis so that measurement-system noise averages down as m/sup -(1/2)/, given m available averages. The approach, widely regarded at lower frequencies as the dual-channel PM/AM noise measurement approach, has some new considerations in extending the frequency range to W-band. A new AM/PM modulator used to calibrate the 100 GHz measurement system is discussed. Data are presented for the measurement system's noise floor. We give AM and PM noise measurements of an InP amplifier with a gain of 10 dB to 15 dB.