RF pulse formation in nonlinear transmission lines

This paper describes a novel pulse forming technique that has been developed to produce powerful RF signals in short duration pulses. The technique is based on modulation of a flat top ‘video’ pulse by a nonlinear dispersive transmission line (NLTL). Typical parameters for existing equipment are - centre frequency 1GHz, pulse length 30ns, peak power 20MW and pulse repetition rate 1kHz. The circuits are electronically tuneable by ±20% about the centre frequency and can be operated in phased arrays. This technology provides a route to produce very powerful microwave transmitters with high repetition rate, electronic tunability and electronic beam steering.