Ultrafast sampler with coaxial transition

A sampling circuit, comprising;

• a substrate;
• a first sampling diode and a second sampling diode defined on the substrate and in electrical communication with a signal input;
• a strobe waveguide, defined on the substrate, that includes a first conductor and a second conductor configured to deliver corresponding strobe pulses of opposite polarity to the first sampling diode and the second sampling diode;
• and
• an intermediate frequency (IF) waveguide, defined on the substrate, and that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that are in electrical communication with the first sampling diode and the second sampling diode, respectively, and configured so that signal samples delivered to the first and second conductors by the first sampling diode and the second sampling diode are of the same polarity and strobe portions delivered to the first conductor and second conductor are of opposing polarity, wherein the conductors of the strobe waveguide and the conductors of the IF waveguide extend along a common axis.

A sampling circuit, comprising;

• a substrate;
• a first sampling diode and a second sampling diode defined on the substrate and in electrical communication with a signal input;
• a strobe waveguide, defined on the substrate, that includes a first conductor and a second conductor, configured to deliver corresponding strobe pulses of opposite polarity to the first sampling diode and the second sampling diode;
• an intermediate frequency (IF) waveguide, defined on the substrate, and that includes a first conductor and a second conductor that are in electrical communication with the first sampling diode and the second sampling diode, respectively, and configured so that signal samples delivered to the first and second conductors by the first sampling diode and the second sampling diode are of the same polarity and strobe portions delivered to the first conductor and second conductor are of opposing polarity;
• and
• varactors configured with the strobe waveguide to form a nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), wherein the strobe waveguide and the IF waveguide are coplanar waveguides that are situated along a common axis.

A sampling circuit, comprising:

• an input configured to receive an electrical signal;
• a strobe waveguide situated along an axis;
• an intermediate frequency waveguide situated along the axis;
• and
• two sampling diodes that are in electrical communication with the strobe waveguide and the intermediate frequency waveguide and configured to direct samples of the electrical signal to the intermediate frequency waveguide in response to a strobe signal propagating on the strobe waveguide, wherein the strobe waveguide is configured to provide a strobe signal that propagates as an odd waveguide mode on the strobe waveguide and the sampling diodes are configured to direct samples of the electrical signal to the intermediate frequency waveguide for propagation as an even mode of the intermediate frequency waveguide.

A sampling circuit, comprising:

• a GaAs substrate;
• a coplanar strip strobe waveguide and a coplanar strip intermediate frequency waveguide that are situated symmetrically about a common axis on the GaAs substrate, wherein the strobe waveguide is situated between the intermediate frequency waveguide and the common axis;
• a plurality of varactors configured with the strobe waveguide to form a nonlinear transmission line (NLTL);
• capacitive couplers that connect corresponding conductors of the strobe waveguide and the intermediate frequency waveguide;
• a signal input that includes a conductive puck;
• and
• two sampling diodes situated to connect respective conductors of the intermediate frequency waveguide the signal input.