Calibrated vectorial nonlinear-network analyzers

The vectorial nonlinear-network analyzer concept is introduced and realized in practice. A vectorial nonlinear-network analyzer excites a nonlinear microwave device-under-test with a combination of sinewaves of different frequencies and accurately detects the phase and amplitude of all frequency components of the incident and the scattered waves. A new, statistic efficient, absolute calibration procedure is developed based on a row crest factor multisine reference generator characterized by a broadband sampling oscilloscope. This makes the calibration traceable to the accuracy of a so-called nose-to-nose measurement.<<ETX>>