Sub-Nanosecond pulsed microwave generation technique by signal combination in the optical domain

A novel technique for the generation of 280 picosecond risetime pulsed microwave waveform has been developed. It is based on the mixture of two arbitrary signals, an ultra-fast pulse train and a microwave CW signal, generated from different sources, combined in the optical domain and photodetected, with the maximum preservation of the spectral and temporal features. The technique´s concepts and the setup used for the experimental validation are presented. The obtained results are discussed and compared to the pulsed microwave signals generated by a modern commercial microwave generator.