Analysis of microwave propagation effects using two-dimensional electrooptic field mapping techniques

Abstract

In high-speed electronic devices and monolithic microwave and millimetrewave integrated circuits the propagation of electromagnetic waves plays an important role. In so-called travelling wave devices and circuits these propagation effects are applied to design and realize functions not available in lumped elements. In order to exploit fully the potential of wave propagation effects, experimental investigations have to be carried out which, however, require a measurement technique to allow spatially resolved detection of microwave potential or field distributions inside elements and circuits and along the electrical interconnects. In this paper, it is shown by several examples, that the two-dimensional electrooptic field mapping technique is an excellent tool to study wave propagation effects up to millimetrewave frequencies, with submicrometre spatial resolution and without electromagnetic interference.