Near-field mapping of high permittivity dielectric microwave resonator modes via optically induced conductance

In this paper, we demonstrate a straightforward, low-cost, and high resolution optical-based method to measure the three-dimensional relative electric field magnitude in microwave circuits without the need to monitor reflected laser beams or the requirement of photoconductive substrates for the device under test. The technique utilizes optically induced conductance, where a focused laser beam excites electron-hole-pairs (EHPs) in a semiconductor thin film placed in the near-field of a microwave circuit. The generated EHPs create localized loss in the resonator and modulate the transmitted microwave signal, proportional to the local microwave electric field. As a proof of principle, several different modes of a high permittivity (ɛ ∼ 80) cylindrical dielectric resonator are mapped.