A micromachined photoconductive near-field probe for picosecond pulse propagation measurement on coplanar transmission lines

For the first time, a micromachined near-field probe has been developed, based on picosecond photoconductive sampling using low-temperature-grown GaAs (LT-GaAs). By changing the direction of the probe, it is capable of scanning/mapping independent orthogonal components of free-space electric fields. The micromachined 1-μm-thick LT-GaAs epilayer substrate of the probe provides a minimal loading effect for measuring picosecond electric fields. The use of optical fibers, for guiding laser pulses to the photoconductive switch on the probe and for electrical connections, enables the probe to be positioned freely with uniform sensitivity. We have demonstrated by finite-difference time-domain simulation that the measurement process of the developed probe is dominated by the switching action of the carriers generated in the photoconductive switch of the probe. Using the probe, propagating picosecond pulse waveforms and field distribution images on coplanar transmission lines were successfully obtained. The probe measurement provides a useful understanding, which cannot be obtained from conventional external-port access test instruments, of electromagnetic phenomena related to wave propagation