对现有实现高速模数转换的光学方法进行了广泛讨论, 包括马赫-曾德尔干涉仪结构、通道波导法布里-珀罗干涉仪结构、光波分复用技术、光时分复用技术、采样光脉冲时域展宽技术、光伏效应采样技术、光导效应采样技术、外光电效应采样电子脉冲发生和电子束偏转及非线性光学模数转换器方案。对各种模数转换器的器件结构、工作原理和特点进行了分析, 并作了简要比较和分类, 指出其发展方向为降低对前续预处理电路输出信号电压水平要求, 加强对高速比较器的研究。

A comprehensive discussion on the presently developing optical methods for high-speed analog-to-digital conversion is presented, including the Mach-Zehnder interferometer archi- tecture, channel waveguide Fabry-Perot interferometer architecture, wavelength division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, time stretch preprocessing, photovoltaic effect sampling, photoconductive effect sampling, sampling electron pulse generation via the photoemissive effect and electron beam deflection, and nonlinear optics analog-to-digital converters(ADCs). The analyses of the device architectures, functional principles, and characteristics are presented. A brief comparison and categorization of different ADCs are made. Two important issues should be considered in lowering demand upon the output swing of preceeding preprocessing electronic circuits and strengthening research in higher speed comparators in the future.