PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, JUNE 1968

1136
density glass surface which is obtained can then be used in the reconstmction by illuminating it with laser light of a frequency different from ultraviolet. In this approach the usual problems are encountered when the
acoustic frequency differs greatly from the reconstruction frequency.[]
M.A. P m w s
Dept. of Elec. Engrg.
Northwestern University
Evanston, Ill. 60201

i$
I

RWERENCLS
[I

Y.Aoki, N . Yoshida, N.Tsukamoto, and M.Suzuki, Sound wave hologram and

Fig. 1.

L
Traveling-wave transistor with mixed active and capacitive coupling

optical reconstruction, Proc. IEE(Letrers), vol. 55, pp. 1622-1623, September 1967.
A. F. MethmU, et d.,
Introduction to acoustical holography, 3. Opr. &x. Am.,
vol. 42, pp. 733-742, October 1967.
I J . E. Jambs, The ultrasound camera. Sci. J . , pp. 6 0 4 7 , April 1965.
[I E. Marom, D. Fritzkr, and R. K. MueUer, Ultrasonic holography by ckctronic
scanning of a piemelectric crystal, Appl. phys. Lcrr., vol. 12 pp. 26-28. January 15, 1968.
H.W. Levmnz,Luminesfemr and tenebras applicd to radar, RCA Rm.,
vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 1-23,
1946.
A. H. Rosenthal, A system of large-scran television reception based on certain
electron phenoin crystals, Roc. IRE, vol. 28, p p . 20M12, May 1940.
[I M . Suzuki andT. Tsuji, CathOQ ray dust oscillogram, f . Insf. Ekc. E n g g . Japan,
vol. 56, pp. 8 S 9 0 2 , 1936.
V.I. Fowler and E. S.Kohn,A photochromic laser display, Proc. IEEE (Lcrrers),
vol. 5 5 , pp. 424-425, March 1%7.
[ 9 1 M. G.Maginness,Comment
on nonoptkal holography, Proc. IEEE (Lrrrers).
vol. 5 5 , pp. 2050-205I, November 1967.
o l G . P. Smith, Clamekon in the sun: photochromatic glass, IEEE Specrrum,
vol. 3, pp. 3947, DeoRnher 1%.
Fig. 2. Idealized frequency response of traveling-wave transistor. A : Without capacitive
coupliig. B: With mixed capacitive and transconductive coupling.

where

Distributed Field-Effect Amplifiers

Abstract-In traveling-wave f
e
id
l4
e
c
t trpnsistwsthere exist two kinds
of operation depending 011 the mutual coup@ of input pad oatput lii:
Pure tramcondative coupling lea& to the well-known B
e
d amplifier
operation; mixed trnnscwductive pad capacitive coupling leads to expowntiany growing waves and to a peak m the freqwacy respwse.

Two letters[11,i21
have discussed traveling-wave embodiments of the
field-effect transistor. A fieldeffect structure is stretched out, so that the
source, drain, and gate electrodes become the conducting members of a
transmission line. The structure can then support wave propagation in a
direction along these electrodes, and normal to the source-gatedrain
gaps. The expectation is that, in analogy with distributed vacuum-tube
amplifiers, greater bandwidth can be obtained at the expense of signal
transit time throughthe device. Generally speaking. the device input
capacitance does not need to be charged all at once; instead the input
signal, as it propagates, activates successive portions of the device. These
earlier letters have shown that such a structure supports modes with a
spatialgain whichis a sinusoidal function of distance; an interesting
exception develops when the gate and drain lines have identical velocities,
in which case linear gain is obtained. A subsequent letter by Jutzir3] provides a much more detailed analysis of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and
includes not only the effects of the device transconductance but also the
Miller effect, i.e., the drain to gate capacitance.
The present letter is essentially acompanion discussion to that of
J ~ t z i , giving
~ ~ the physical background which distinguishes that treatment
from the preceding ones, but without attempting to substantiate all the
analytical details provided by Jutzi. The simpler reasoning given here
preceded Jutzis treatment, and in turn wasverifiedbyhis
independent
methods.
In the treatments by McIver[I and K ~ p p [the
~ ]source-gate and sourcedrain lines are coupled only through the device transconductance. Thus
a gate line pulse generates effects, through the transconductance, in the
drain line. If the two line velocities are synchronized, a linear growth in
the output results. The inclusion of a feedback mechanism, such as the
drain-gate capacitance, seriously alters these conclusions.
We assume solutions on the transmission line of the form P 1 - @ * ) .
We then find for the propagation constant
Manuscript received December 4, 1%7; revised March 25, 1968.

a: =

and

In the above I and c are transmission line reactances, per centimeter; the
subscripts identify association with thedrain line, source line, or gate
line. As in all the earlier analyses we have assumed a device in a pinchedoff condition so that the device has a transconductance, but no sourcedrain leakage. Also, as was done implicitly in earlier treatments, we have
neglected the small current flow, through the semiconductor, in the direction of wave propagation; the large electric fields are across the narrow
transistor gap dimensions.
We now statea sequence of results based on the analysis leading to
the above dispersion equation, but we put the sequence in a form which
gives a degree of independent physical plausibility.
1) In the absence of any gatedrain coupling (i.e., g m = cr=O). we have
two independent lines, with their respective propagation constants.
2) Ifwe allow gm to be different from zero, but keeping cr=O, the
device acts as a classical distributed amplifier. The frequency
response is indicated by curve A in Fig. 2. The voltage gain is frequency independent over a wide frequency band limited by the
cutoff frequency of the transconductance. The phase velocities on
the inputand output line must be equalized for large gain, i.e.,aj = G.
3) Introduction of the passive coupling c&, but with a zero or inactive
transconductance, spreads the two propagation constants further
apart, just as the resonant frequencies in two coupled circuits are
spread apart. The drain and gate voltages are in phase in one of
the two modes that exist in the presence of cds, and out of phase
in the other. The out-of-phase mode, in which cdeis charged to the
maximum extent possible, is the slower mode.
4) If we now allow g m to be different from zero, then in the slow
mode thegate voltage introducesa sourcedrain current which
tends to be out of phase with the sourcedrain voltage. Hence this
current acts as a negative resistance when viewed from the sourcedrain line, and can be expected to cause exponential signal growth.
5 ) The existence of exponential gain, instead of linear gain, depends
on c&. Since at low frequencies the capacitive feedback currents

1I37

PROCEEDINGS LETTERS

Active RC Filters-A State-Space Realization

Abstract-A staodard con6guratioo composed of RC and operational
amplifiers is used for the realization of any second-order voltage transfer
function. The approach blends well into the hybrid microeleetroairs 6eld
and promises absolute stabilityand very low sensitivity.
INTRODUCTION
This letter presents in an abbreviated form some results on active RC
synthesis. An active RC filter synthesis method is described which is
promising and compatible with the present hybrid microcircuitry technology.
DFSICNCRITERIA

I lops I

The following criteria are used as guidelines for the design of low cost
reliable active RC filters in integrated form.
1) Low sensitivity realization: The realization should have low sensi-

lO.5psl

TIM E

Fig. 3. A: Exponentially growing wave in a low-frequency model of a distributed amplifier

with capacitive coupling of input and output lines. At right end of time scale, transconductance has been turned off. B : A portion of the oscillations on an expanded time
scale.

disappear, the contribution of the exponential gain to the total gain

vanishes at low frequencies. At high frequencies the exponential
gain will peak the frequency response as indicated by curve B in
Fig. 2. This peak can be high, leading to a high gain bandpass
amplifier. It can even cause instabilities or oscillations, depending
on the line terminations and the amount of coupling.
6) For the exponential amplifier, the needfor exact velocity synchronization is removed by the existence of c&.
7) Exponential gain and the associated negative attenuation can also
be utilized to compensate positive line attenuation in a broadband
amplifier.

tivity and remain stable with respect to changes in the passive RC

components and the active devices.
2) Building block approach: It has been well established from sensitivity studies that a high-order transfer function is best realized by
cascading second-order functions.
3) Fixed structure: An identical configuration should be used for the
realization of all second-order transfer functions. This circuit
standardization is important for the economic success ofany type of
integrated circuitry.
A STATE-SPACE
REALIZATION APPROACH
A method for realizing a general second-order voltage transfer function
is described here. This approach uses an old active synthesis technique,
vu., analog computer realization, and the relatively new state-space representation of circuits which results in a fixed configuration composed of
RC components and differential operational amplifiers. Specifically, let
the second-order transfer function be given by
V,
V,

-(s)

m?
s2

+ cs + d
+ as + b

(1)

The following set of state equations can be easily verified to possess

the same input-output relation as (1).

i l = -ax, - kl&x, - k,lma - cluh

To substantiatethe above analysis, a conventionally designed lowfrequency model of a distributed amplifier has been built with tubes. For
this model f,= 18 MHz and c,=O.OS
cgs.The expected sharp peak ini, = J
- xb1
kl
dicated by curve B in Fig. 2 occurs in the vicinity off,.
Subsequently, c& was increased to 0.08 cgrrleading to a more pro1
k1
mb-d
u,, = - sgn ( m a - c)xl + -.
nounced peak exponential gain. The amplifier was gated onand off
X2 + m i n
k2
k2 I I M - C I A
periodically. With the greater gain arising from the larger value of c&,
the system now oscillates at 18 MHq the frequency for maximum gain.
Fig. 3A shows the exponential growth of oscillations, as observed at one end where k, and k, are arbitrarily positive real numbers.
Equations (2) are not unique. They are derived here by:
of the tube chain. This exponential growth is closely related to the ex1) noting that the transfer function for the state equations
ponential growth along the chain discussed in 4) and 5) above.
GERHARD
KOHN
IBM Research Lab.
X = AX + Bu,
y = CX DU
Zurich, Switzerland
ROLFW. LANDAUER is
Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Y
IBM Corporation
-(s) = C(sZ - A)-B + D.
U
Yorktown Heights, N. Y. 10598

REFERENC~
G. W. McIver, A traveling-wave transistor, Roc. I(Correspondence),vol.
53, pp. 1747-1748, November 1%5.
E. H. Kopp, A coupkd mode analysisof the traveling-wave transistor, Proc. IEEE
(Lerrers), vol. 5 4 , pp. 1571-1572, November 1966.
[I W.Jutzi, Uniform distriiuled amplifier analysis with fast and slow waves, Proc.
IEE(Lerrers), vol. 56, pp. 6 6 4 7 , January 1968.
[I

Fresmtly at the University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.

2) a matching of the coefficients between ( Y / U ) ( s )and (1).

The set of equations (2) can be readily implemented by the conventionalanalogcomputation
technique. The complete configuration is
shown in Fig. 1, where, for ease of illustration, we have assumed ma > c
and mb>d.
Manuscript received March 6. 1968.
An alternate set of coefficients is used for the case when ma = E . The twozero co&cienq however, remain as zems.