Optoelectronic measurement of the transfer function and time response of a 70 GHz sampling oscilloscope

Abstract

The transfer characteristics of a nominal 70 GHz sampling oscilloscope are measured using time-domain optoelectronic techniques. It is shown that the optoelectronic measurement set-up provides the bandwidth required to determine the full complex transfer function of the oscilloscope, which is completely characterized in the frequency and time domain. The investigated oscilloscope has a 3 dB bandwidth of 84 GHz and its step response shows a 10%–90% rise time of 4.8 ps. The uncertainty of the rise-time measurement is 1.2 ps.