Optically Strobed Sample and Hold Circuit

摘要

Radiation damaged photoconductors have been shown to be useful devices for sampling repetitive electrical signals with time resolution to less than a picosecond. In previous work, the signal being sampled has generally had to repeat in order to be averaged by a lock-in amplifier for detection. In contrast, the circuit described in this paper is designed to make one sample on a non-repetitive signal with a 10 picoseconds aperture and then hold this sample for a microsecond. The hold time only needs to be long enough for the signal to be A to D converted. This circuit was designed as a prototype with the intent of integrating a number of these circuits in the future for making multiple samples, offset in time, on a single electrical transient signal and thereby capture the transient. This paper will be concerned with the design, fabrication and testing of one of these optically strobed sample and hold circuits. (ERA citation 12:041399)