Improved Optoelectronic Technique for the Time-Domain Characterization of Sampling Oscilloscopes

Author

Bieler, Mark ; Spitzer, Meinhard ; Pierz, Klaus ; Siegner, Uwe

Author_Institution

Phys.-Tech. Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig

Volume

58

Issue

4

fYear

2009

fDate

4/1/2009 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1065

Lastpage

1071

Abstract

We report on the enhancement of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt´s (PTB´s) ultrafast optoelectronic measurement facility by characterizing the full impulse and step response of a 70-GHz sampling oscilloscope. A novel optoelectronic technique for the generation and the detection of ultrashort voltage pulses, which serve as calibration signals for the oscilloscope, is introduced. The uncertainty of the oscilloscope´s time-domain response is derived from a Monte Carlo analysis. Aside from a more complete characterization, our enhanced technique considerably reduces the uncertainty of rise-time measurements.

Keywords

Monte Carlo methods; electro-optical devices; high-speed optical techniques; measurement uncertainty; millimetre wave devices; millimetre wave measurement; optoelectronic devices; oscilloscopes; time-domain analysis; Monte Carlo analysis; PTB ultrafast measurement facility; Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt; calibration signals; frequency 70 GHz; full impulse response; optoelectronic technique; rise-time measurement uncertainty; sampling oscilloscope; step response; time-domain characterization; Electrooptic (EO) measurements; oscilloscopes; transient response; ultrafast electronics; ultrafast optics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Instrumentation and Measurement, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9456

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TIM.2008.2009916

Filename

4721611