RESEARCH ARTICLE | DECEMBER 08 2022

Theory and practice of pulse compression in hybrid and

gyromagnetic non-linear transmission lines 
MuhibUr Rahman  ; Ke Wu

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022)

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0128856

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Theory and practice of pulse compression

in hybrid and gyromagnetic non-linear
transmission lines
Cite as: J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856
Submitted: 30 September 2022 · Accepted: 16 November 2022 · View Online Export Citation CrossMark
Published Online: 8 December 2022

MuhibUr Rahmana) and Ke Wu

AFFILIATIONS
Poly-Grames Research Center and Department of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal H3T 1J4, Quebec, Canada

a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: muhibur.rahman@polymtl.ca

ABSTRACT
This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of pulse compression capability in hybrid and gyromagnetic non-linear transmission lines
(NLTLs). The corresponding theoretical analysis in the hybrid NLTLs is derived and discussed in detail with the generation and sharpening
aspects of leading and trailing pulse edges. The parameters responsible for pulse sharpening are examined and their corresponding pulse
compression capability is modelled by providing the output waveform while varying these parameters. A holistic overview and mathematical

14 December 2023 18:34:27

development of gyromagnetic NLTLs are also conducted, which are modeled and validated through an equivalent lumped element model.
Important parameters such as saturation magnetization, gyromagnetic NLTL sections, and damping parameter are elaborated and their
influences on pulse sharpening and compression capability are studied. Validation of the theoretical and parametric analysis is performed
by an experimental demonstration. The results achieved from hybrid and gyromagnetic NLTLs are briefly summarized, and their corre-
sponding advantages and disadvantages are highlighted. This research is set to provide a fresh and successful debut for investigating gyro-
magnetic and hybrid NLTLs and their inherent effects on pulse compression for future ultrafast electronic systems and interconnects.

Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0128856

I. INTRODUCTION
Non-linear transmission lines (NLTLs) inherently possess the
capability to generate solitons having the ability to maintain their
permanent pulse profile.1 Since non-linearity is essential for the
propagation of solitons, it cannot act in isolation. On the other
hand, dispersion is a physical behavior that correspondingly coun-
teracts the balance of non-linearity in NLTL.2 Solitons that are
usually generated in a lumped NLTL fall within the category of
KdV solitons, which are basically a single smooth hump.3 The KdV
solitons are usually based on the equation that approximately
describes NLTL and often can be written in the following form4:
@u @u @ 3 u
þ 6u þ 3 ¼ 0, (1)
@t @z @z
where the first term quantifies that it is a first-order evolution
equation with respect to t, and the second and third terms account
for non-linearity and dispersion, respectively. The soliton solution
for different cases was given in Refs. 5–7.
NLTLs are usually used for pulse generation and edges
sharpening8,9 and they are categorized into non-linear electrical
transmission lines (NLETL) and non-linear magnetic transmission
lines (NLMTL).10 NLETL further consists of three different types
including non-linear capacitive transmission lines (NLCTL), non-
linear inductive transmission lines (NLITL), and non-linear hybrid
transmission lines (NLHTL).10–12 It was previously explored that
NLETL and NLMTL have the ability of rising and fall time com-
pression and the injected input pulse would be compressed after
passing through NLTL. The minimum edge sharpening of a pulse
is limited by the dispersive properties of the deployed NLTL.13
A good approximation of rise and fall time reduction was given in
different scenarios14–16 of NLTL, and it is usually determined by
the difference among time delays of the corresponding sharpened
edge of a pulse and peak of the waveform.
There exist another important class of NLTL that falls within
the NLMTL category, and it is termed as gyromagnetic NLTL.17
This type of NLTL comprises of continuous nondispersive NLTL,
in which the inner conductor is lined with ferrite rings and the

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856 132, 223902-1

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medium isolating the line conductors is constructed of a magnetic

substance. Conceptually, the LC discrete line (hybrid NLTLs) and
the non-dispersive continuous line are distinct. Gyromagnetic
NLTLs are supposed to operate above 3.0 GHz18 having an RF con-
version efficiency of roughly 12%, which are essential for possible
use in satellite communications, for example. The gyromagnetic
NLTL’s operating concept is totally based on the compression of
output pulse in relation to that of the applied input pulse since
the permeability of a magnetic material depends on current. As
the current pulse travels down the transmission line, the magnetic
permeability drops along with the corresponding current ampli-
tude. The peak of the pulse will move more quickly than its lower
amplitude components due to the fact that the propagation veloc-
ity (vpp) ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
in a ffi corresponding nonlinear magnetic medium is
vp ¼ c/ εr μr (I), where c represents the light speed in free space
and εr and μr are the relative permittivity and permeability of the
magnetic medium, respectively. Since the input leading edge of
the pulse with a larger amplitude travel more quickly than the
parts with smaller amplitudes, and so the pulse that appears on
the output is sharper than the input pulse. In this scenario, the
corresponding
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi0ffi rise time of the output pulse can be estimated as9
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
ΔT ¼ L C  Lsat C 0 , where L0 and C 0 represent the inductance
0
FIG. 1. Different types of NLTL utilized in literature for pulse generation and
and capacitance of a coaxial line, respectively, and Lsat is the compression.
coaxial line inductance at saturation.
The magnetic moment of ferrite M, which is originally aligned
with external axial magnetic field Hext, interacts with the corre-
This paper is organized as follows. Section II is dedicated to
sponding azimuthal field produced by the current pulse around the
the theoretical and design aspect of hybrid NLTLs with a corre-

14 December 2023 18:34:27

inner conductor, causing M to create a damped precession motion
about the longitudinal axis. As the pulse current travels along the
line, the magnetic precession movement in the ferrite occurs,
leading to high-frequency oscillations. These oscillations have a
shape that is comparable to the input pulse but has a shorter rise
time, and they are superimposed on the output pulse amplitude.
Owing to the transition time from one state to the other on the
material B–H curve (known as the spin reversal region), which is
correlated with the relaxation frequency of the corresponding mag-
netic material,19 the rise time reduction in this case is limited by
the switching properties of the ferrite.
Recently, gyromagnetic lines have been the subject of various
research activities due to the reason that they have a better RF con-
version efficiency and can produce stronger pulse oscillations at
higher frequencies. Another advantage of the gyromagnetic NLTLs
over the dielectric NLTL is the utilization of a higher inductance
nonlinearity that ferrite can generate in comparison to the nonline-
arity generation in a nonlinear ceramic capacitance. There also exist
another class of NLTL known as dielectric NLTL where non-linear
dielectric slabs are periodically loaded to a parallel brass plates.14 All
these NLTL types are briefly summarized in the form of Fig. 1.
The objective of this work is to present a comprehensive
analysis of the pulse generation and compression capability in
hybrid and gyromagnetic NLTLs. The parameters principally
responsible for pulse sharpening in the gyromagnetic and hybrid
NLTLs are provided, and their corresponding pulse compression
capability is modeled. The results achieved in the case of hybrid
and gyromagnetic NLTLs are briefly summarized and tabulated,
and their corresponding advantages and disadvantages are dis-
cussed and highlighted.
sponding equivalent model. Section III provides the design and
theoretical analysis of gyromagnetic NLTLs with corresponding
transmission-line and lumped-element models. Section IV
describes the compression capability of these NLTLs, whereas
Sec. IV A is completely dedicated to the hybrid NLTLs analysis and
Sec. IV B for gyromagnetic NLTLs. This section discusses all the
pulse parameters responsible for pulse sharpening and its influence
on output waveforms. Section V gives an experimental demonstra-
tion that is followed by Sec. VI that compares hybrid NLTLs with
gyromagnetic NLTLs. Finally, Sec. VII concludes the overall
research work.
II. THEORY AND DESIGN OF HYBRID NLTL
Consider a hybrid NLTL as shown in Fig. 2 having nonlinear
capacitors configuration represented in Fig. 2(a) while nonlinear
inductors configuration represented in Fig. 2(b) where current-
dependent non-linear inductor is represented by L(I) and voltage-
dependent non-linear capacitor by C(V). To fully characterize the
losses in the circuit, R and G are placed for characterizing losses
in inductors and capacitors, respectively, as shown in Figs. 2(a)
and 2(b). To fully understand this nonlinear circuitry, we need to
model its behavior mathematically and analyze its effect on pulse
sharpening.
The corresponding equations for the hybrid NLTL case are
given as follows:
δI δQ
¼ þ GVn , (2)
δx δt

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856 132, 223902-2

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square root non-linearity, we have

C0
C(V) ¼ pffiffiffiffiffiffiffi , (7)
jVj

L0
L(I) ¼ pffiffiffiffiffi : (8)
jIj

The equations governed by the voltages and currents in the

case of the LC ladder network as shown in Fig. 2 can be given as
follows:12

dIn
L þ RIn ¼ Vn  Vnþ1 , (9)
dt

dVn
FIG. 2. Hybrid NLTL having (a) nonlinear capacitors configuration and (b) non- C þ GVn ¼ In1  In : (10)
dt
linear inductors configuration.
The forward traveling wave solution can be given as follows:

δV δI I(n, t) ¼ I0 e j(ωtkn) , (11)

¼ L þ RIn , (3)
δx δt
where V(n, t) ¼ V0 e j(ωtkn) : (12)

1 δQ And the dispersion relation is obtained utilizing the technique

V ¼ T(Q) þ , (4)

14 December 2023 18:34:27

G δt in Ref. 20,

where I, V, and Q represent the transmission line current, voltage, LCω2 ¼ 2(1  cos k): (13)
and charges, respectively, while the conductance per unit length is
represented by G. T signifies the voltage of the nonlinear capaci- The wavelength that corresponds to the cutoff frequency ωc is
tance and is given as follows: given as follows:

1 2
T(Q) ¼ (Q0 þ ηQ3 ), (5) ωc ¼ pffiffiffiffiffiffi : (14)
C0 LC
where η represents the cubic nonlinearity strength and small-signal Now Eq. (13) can also be re-written as
transmission line capacitance is shown by C0. To show the shock
front’s steady-state form, Eqs. (2)–(5) can be solved as follows: LCω2
(1  cos k) ¼ ,
  2
1 2 tan h(n  x0 )  2 (15)
Q (n) ¼ Qs 1 
2
, (6) ω
2 w cos k ¼ 1  2 :
ωc
where n = x − vt, v and Qs represent the propagation velocity and
charge amplitude of the shockwave, w represents the width of the The line impedance can be determined from Eqs. (8)–(11) as
corresponding shock front, and x0 is a constant that describes the
shock front’s original position. As can be observed, the shock’s V0
Z ¼ Z 0 e jf ¼ , (16)
velocity increases as the shock’s amplitude and nonlinearity I0
strength increase. Also, increasing non-linearity decreases the width qffiffiffi
of the shock wave that correspondingly decreases the pulse where Z0 ¼ CL , sin f ¼ ωωc . In the case of a network constructed
duration. from T and pi sections,20 the matched terminating impedance can
Let us now take a look at the hybrid scenario depicted in be given by Eqs. (17) and (18), respectively,
Fig. 2, where the series inductance is based on current and the
sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
 
shunt capacitance is dependent on voltage, resulting in a line with
ω2
a constant characteristic impedance that can be terminated without ZT ¼ Z0 1 2 , (17)
a variable characteristic impedance. Considering the case of the ωc

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Z0 solitons while propagating along a line and ultimately its edge sharp-
ZΠ ¼ sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
 : (18) ening will occur depending on the rise and fall time limit such that9
ω2
1 2
ωc π pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
ffi
Trise, min ¼ L0 C(Vmax ), (26)
4
An approximate wave equation based on the combination of
Eqs. (9) and (10) is given as follows:
8:8 1
 2     T f , min (10%  90%) ¼ rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi , (27)
d d d ωd (0) v
LC Vn þ R Qn þ LG Vn þ RGVn 1 1
dt dt dt f
¼ Vnþ1  2Vn þ Vn1 : (19)
where f = 0.4 V, Tf,min represents the fall time limit, and Trise,min repre-
sents the rise time limit. By varying an input rise time with constant
Expressing Vn+1 and Vn−1 in terms of following truncated
line length, we obtain 10%–90% data for the output pulse. It must
series:
also be noted that varying the voltage and current sharpens the rise
    and fall edges until Bragg cutoff frequency. The shortest possible rise/
@ 1 @2
Vn+1 Vn + Vn þ V n fall edge is also termed as the shock edge limit. In order to validate
@n 2 @n2 the theoretical formulation, we compare the output response from
 3   
1 @ 1 @4 theory and simulation for ten section hybrid NLTL as shown in Fig. 3.
+ V n þ V n : (20)
6 @n3 24 @n4 It shows that the simulation and theoretical responses agree very well.
It must be noted that the designing of ten section NLTL is performed
Now, changing the coordinates with corresponding scaling in an advanced design system (ADS) and the simulation is extracted
and transformation as9 from it which will be explained in Sec. IV A.
The results in Eq. (22) show that a shock front propagating
x ¼ ε1/2 (n  v0 t), along a nonlinear LC network will break into an array of solitons.
τ ¼ ε3/4 v0 t/24, (21) This will ultimately produce the modulation of the delivered power
and V ¼ εF0 u/2: to the load. Additionally, during this process, there will be an

14 December 2023 18:34:27

increasing fraction of the propagating power along the NLTL that
Now by applying the above reduction and scaling to Eq. (19), will cause undesired oscillation termed as the non-soliton part.
we get the KdV equation with a loss term as Because of instant variations of the matched values of the terminat-
ing impedance, any resistive termination will lead to incident
12 power reflection. This clarifies that there is a limit for rising or fall
uτ  6uuξ þ uξξξ þ ¼ 0, (22)
ψ * υM time where no further reduction exists, and after that, the overall
pulse shape will have deteriorated. For any resistive load, there
where

1R G * ψ
ψ* þ ,ψ ¼ ,
¼
L C 24 (23)
ξ ¼ n  υM t, and u ¼ 2V/F:

Equation (23) can be reduced to the KdV equation when the

loss term becomes zero such that ψ * becomes infinity. This is a sig-
nificant finding where the loss terms are incorporated into the
hybrid NLTL case and the modified KdV equation is extracted as
Eq. (22). The solution to Eq. (22) was derived in Ref. 9,

Vn (t) ¼ F0 Ω2 sec h2 (Ωv0 t  Pn), (24)

where

Ω ¼ sin hP and v0 ¼ {LC(V0 )}1/2 : (25)

It shows that an initial voltage waveform of any arbitrary value

V(ξ, 0) will split into a number of solitons traveling in the right direc-
tion with ξ ! þ1 and an oscillatory dispersive wave (non-soliton
part) traveling to the left ξ ! 1. This result also shows that a shock FIG. 3. Response from theory and simulation for ten section hybrid NLTL.
front on a nonlinear hybrid network will divide into an array of

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856 132, 223902-4

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exists an optimum point where peak power is maximum. This
effect is well modeled for hybrid NLTL as shown in Fig. 4(a),
where increasing RF load resistance increases pulse amplitude but
at the cost of increased ringing. Increasing load resistance highly
increases the oscillation amplitude. This eventually leads to a
higher ringing, and it is modeled in Fig. 4(b), which shows the
trend between RF load resistance versus the figure of merit (FOM).
FOM is defined using Eq. (28) as27
Pulse amplitude(V)
FOM ¼ : (28)
FWHM(ns)  Ringing(%)
III. THEORY AND DESIGN OF GYROMAGNETIC NLTL
A continuous and nondispersive class of NLTL known as
gyromagnetic NLTL uses magnetic materials as the medium sepa-
rating the line conductors. The construction of the gyromagnetic
line is detailed in Fig. 5. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the magnetic com-
ponents that are possibly ferrite rings are positioned side by side
along with the inner conductor.
This kind of NLTL is advantageous over inductive NLTL due
to the capability of generating stronger pulse oscillations at higher
frequencies. Additionally, it may generate a wide frequency spec-
trum and use the stronger nonlinearity of the ferrite-based induc-
tance. However, this type of NLTL can only support rise time
compression.
We can derive the corresponding solitary wave solution and
pulse width estimation of a gyromagnetic NLTL by analyzing its
unit section. To this end, we consider a static axial bias in ferrite
such that

Hz ¼ Hbias : (29)

The pulse current represented by i gives a mean value of the cir-

cumferential pulse field Hθ in the ferrite using the following relation:

i
Hθ ¼ , (30)
πde

14 December 2023 18:34:27

where effective diameter de of the ferrite is defined by

dm  di
de ¼  , (31)
ln ddmi

where dm represents the outer diameter and di represents the inner

diameter of the utilized ferrite core. Now, the corresponding Landau–
Lifshitz (LL) magnetization equation for a linear 1D transmission line
can be written as follows:

di dv
¼ C0 , (32)
dz dt

FIG. 4. RF load resistance analysis. (a) Load resistance analysis vs pulse

FIG. 5. Gyromagnetic NLTL used for pulse compression.
amplitude in hybrid NLTL; (b) load resistance analysis vs FOM in hybrid NLTL.

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856 132, 223902-5

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dv d
¼  (Li), (33)
dz dt

where i denotes the current, v specifies the voltage, L represents the

inductance, and C0 denotes the capacitance per unit length. Now
Eq. (33) can be re-written in terms of flux as follows:

dv df
¼ , (34)
dz dt

where f represents the circumferential flux per unit length. Then, sep-
arating the df/dt term into linear and magnetization-driven terms as
follows:
FIG. 7. A typical unit section of a nonlinear gyromagnetic transmission line.
df di (dm  di ) dMθ
¼ L0 þ μ0 , (35)
dt dt 2 dt
 hpffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffii  pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
where L0 signifies the saturated inductance slope per unit length and T ¼ ε1/2 t  L0 C z , Z ¼ ε3/2 L0 C z/2, G ¼ ε1/2 G, I ¼ ε1/2 I,
dMθ /dt shows the corresponding rate-change of the circumferential
component of M. To obtain a numerical solution, the line is discre- (39)
tized into a series of axial elements having a length Δz. The corre-
sponding equivalent circuit of the discretized model is shown in where ε is a small parameter, and substituting Eq. (39) into Eq.
Fig. 6. dMθ /dt establishes the instantaneous magnitude of voltage (38), we get a modified KdV equation for the gyromagnetic NLTL
sources V1    Vm    Vn for each section and can be given by case as
2 sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
  3
(dm  di ) dMθ β 1 C0
V m ¼ μ0 Δz: (36) 6 þ 7
2 dt 6 6L0 C 12 C 7
u ¼ Is sech6 7

14 December 2023 18:34:27

6  1 7, (40)
4 pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi0 β 2 5
Now, let us consider a typical unit section of the nonlinear jIs j t  L0 C  1 þ Is z
gyromagnetic transmission line having a nonlinear inductor repre- 6
sented by L(I), resistor 1/g, and pseudo-capacitor C0 as shown in
Fig. 7. The resonance angular frequency of the ferrite can be for- where the first order approximation of the flux is taken as
mulated by  
β
f(I) ≃ L0 1  I 2 I, (41)
1 3
ωr ¼ μ0 γH0 ¼ : (37)
(L0 C 0 )
3n2 (a2  b2 )M
Neglecting higher-order terms and deriving equation for β¼    , (42)
b M
change of current I(t,z) lead to the following equations: 16π 2 ln 1þ H03
a H0
1 @ 2 f(I) 1 @ 2 I g @ 3 f(I) 1 @ 4 I C 0 @ 4 f(I)   
¼ þ þ þ , b M
L0 @t 2 L0 C @z 2 C @z @t 12L0 C @z 4 C @z 2 @t 2
2
μ0 nD ln 1þ
a H0
(38) L0 ¼ : (43)
2π

Finally, the half-power pulse width is calculated by

   1/2
1 C0
TB ¼ 1:76 6L0 C þ /β jIs1 j seconds: (44)
12 C

The corresponding results obtained from theory and simula-

tion at a specific set of values are compared for pulse width in
Fig. 8. It can be seen from Fig. 8 that there arises an unexpected
inhomogeneity while increasing the magnetic strength. This model
FIG. 6. Transmission line element-based model of ferrite loaded gyromagnetic
is able to judge the rise time compression in gyromagnetic NLTL
NLTL to be used for pulse compression.
for certain values of magnetic field strength.

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FIG. 8. Comparison of pulse width from theory and simulations.
It is also clear from Eq. (40) that the pulse width of a modified
KdV soliton is inversely proportional to the amplitude of pulse rep-
resented by jIs j. As a final observation, when g becomes zero and
for a sufficient wide input pulse duration, the amplitude will
become doubled with reference to that of an input pulse duration.
This will ultimately lead to a rise time compression of the pulse.
IV. ANALYSIS OF COMPRESSION CAPABILITY
In this section, we will first address the pulse compression
capability of the hybrid NLTLs using a parametric study that is fol-
lowed by those of the gyromagnetic NLTLs. Important pulse
parameters including pulse amplitude, compression factor, and
ringing behavior will be studied in this connection. Finally, our
finding for both classes of NLTLs are summarized in the form of
tables to understand and appreciate the behavior of specific param-
eters in a compact way.
A. Hybrid NLTL pulse compression capability and
parametric analysis
A ten-section hybrid NLTL is developed based on the analysis
provided in Sec. II, and it is shown in Fig. 9. The modeling is per-
formed in such a way that inductive and dissipative losses are all
FIG. 9. Circuit model of the designed hybrid NLTL with capacitive and inductive
losses.
J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856
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included. This model is designed so that it can easily incorporate
the characteristics of the corresponding non-linear elements includ-
ing current-dependent non-linear inductor L(I) and voltage-
dependent non-linear capacitor C(V). The main components of
this model include the user-defined input pulse, passive hybrid
NLTL that further comprises of ten hybrid NLTL sections, input
impedance Rg, load resistance RL, R for characterizing inductive
losses, RC for characterizing capacitive losses, and Lf as an isolation
inductor.
First, the effect on the output load voltage is depicted in
Fig. 10, where the number of LC sections (n) is changed from 4 to
10. Although it is noted that a small amount of oscillations occurs
at roughly the same frequency in all the circumstances, there is a
preferred number of the largest number of oscillating portions
(non-soliton part). As the number of the section is increased, the
pulse is going to be sharpened and oscillation start to diminish at
the cost of an increased circuit size.
The influence on the output load voltage is depicted in
Fig. 11, where the value of the resistive load RL is changed from 50
to 500 Ω. Ringing behavior and oscillation amplitudes are observed
to grow as the load value goes up. However, it is interesting that
there is an optimum point where the peak power is maximum as
shown in Fig. 11. It might be believed that the varying impedance
is matched well to the hybrid NLTL at such a particular value. As
the load resistance rises, oscillations become more frequent until
they reach the line’s Bragg’s frequency limit. Conclusively, we can
say that the pulse distortion begins to occur for a high load
14 December 2023 18:34:27
resistance.
Here, the input pulse rise time is also varied to see its effect
on the output voltage, and it is assumed that the input pulse rise
time and fall time are the same. The effect on the output load
voltage is shown in Fig. 12, where the rise time (TR) is changed
from 500 to 700 ps in steps of 100 ps. The frequency of oscillations
FIG. 10. Varying the number of sections (n) of the designed hybrid NLTL and
its corresponding effect on output pulse.
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TABLE I. Summary of a parametric study of hybrid NLTL.

Parameters Remarks
Increasing TR is set to increase the
Rise time of input pulse, TR
number of oscillations as well as
increase the output pulse duration.
Amplitude of input pulse If amplitude is too high, oscillations
will shift upward and produce
distortions.
Number of NLTL sections, n Increasing n,
(a) increases the amplitude of
output peak voltage;
(b) considerable reduction in
ringing; and
(c) decreases pulse duration and so
FWHM of the output pulse.
Resistive load, RL Increasing RL,
(a) increases the amplitude of
oscillation in the output voltage;
FIG. 11. Varying load resistance (RL) of the designed hybrid NLTL and its (b) increases the amplitude of
corresponding effect on output pulse. ringing;
(c) increases pulse duration; and
(d) there exists RL where the
is seen to remain constant as the rise time varies until the line is optimum power is maximum and,
able to produce solitary waves. Although the pulse duration is cons- thus, has the best output
tant, the section of the flat top decreases as the rise time increases, performance.
thus limiting the number of cycles for the same frequency. As a Capacitive nonlinearity Steep capacitive nonlinearity:

14 December 2023 18:34:27

result, the number of oscillations falls as the rise time increases. (a) decreases oscillation amplitude;
The overall summary of the parametric analysis of the hybrid and
NLTLs is tabulated in Table I to see the behavior of different effects (b) decreases peak power
on the output waveforms. These important parameters include Inductive nonlinearity Steep inductive nonlinearity:
input pulse variations, the number of NLTL sections, resistive load, (a) increases ringing in output
capacitive nonlinearity, and inductive nonlinearity. voltage; and
(b) optimum point exists where
peak power is maximum.

B. Gyromagnetic NLTL pulse compression capability

The gyromagnetic NLTLs work on a principle that the mag-
netic permeability of ferrite reduces swiftly with the current ampli-
tude as the applied input pulse moves along the line, thereby
speeding up the propagation velocity. The peak of the pulse can
move more quickly than its base due to an inverse relationship
between magnetic permeability and propagation velocity, which is
set to shorten the pulse rise time. This behavior is termed as the
pulse sharpening effect, which ultimately leads to pulse compres-
sion in gyromagnetic NLTLs.
Different methods for simulating a continuous gyromagnetic
line take Dolan’s lumped-parameter network as a starting
point.21,22 It is possible to solve the shock front development
process numerically thanks to the introduction of a time-stepping
method introduced by Dolan’s in Ref. 21. Our proposed gyromag-
netic model is developed in such a way that first a section of the
network is designed and analyzed, which involves a voltage source
FIG. 12. Effect of input pulse variation on output response of the designed
hybrid NLTL.
with shunt capacitance and series inductance that is powered by
magnetization and is regulated by the rate of variation in the

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magnetic flux through the ferrite rings. The created model is built
on the work suggested by Dolan,21 in which the effects of magneti-
zation of the ferrite are stated using the one-dimensional (1D)
form of the LLG equation and represented by voltage sources as
nonlinear elements. The proposed model’s schematic is already
shown and discussed in Sec. III as Fig. 6.
For the analysis of pulse edge sharpening and pulse compres-
sion behavior, we modeled a lossless gyromagnetic NLTL driven by
a Gaussian-shaped pulse having an amplitude of 5 V. The generator
resistance and load in the circuit model are also 50 Ω, matching the
line characteristic impedance. The relative saturated permeability is
5; the relative permeability and permittivity of the dielectric are 2.1
and 1.0, respectively; the ferrite relative permittivity is 16; the
ferrite outer diameter is 1.4 mm; the diameter of the inner conduc-
tor is 0.8 mm; and the diameter of the outer dielectric is 2.5 mm,
having the optimum selected number of sections n is 12.
Figure 13 shows that the corresponding output pulse is sharp-
ening by changing the number of sections (n) of the designed gyro-
magnetic NLTL. However, if we increase the number of sections,
the simulation running time is also going to increase considerably.
The impact of the damping parameter (α) on rise time compres- FIG. 14. Variation of rise time with damping parameter of the gyromagnetic
sion is demonstrated in Fig. 14. The dimensionless damping NLTL.
parameter, whose corresponding value for this simulation is
spanned between 0.01 and 1, is also investigated in detail.
According to Fig. 14, increasing the damping parameter results in a previous literature that a higher input voltage shortens the rise
consistent decrease in the output pulse rise time. Additionally, we time. For instance, in Ref. 22, the 3D form of the LLG equation23
can see in Fig. 14 that the output waveform variation is very small was used, while in Refs. 24 and 25, the 1D form of the respective

14 December 2023 18:34:27

when the damping parameter is going beyond 0.5.
The effect of input voltage on the corresponding output wave-
form is also investigated, and it is shown in Fig. 15. The amplitude
of the input voltage is varied from 3 to 8 V, and it is seen that by
increasing the input voltage, we have a slight compression in rise
time as predicted from Fig. 15. Additionally, it is also noted in
LLG equation was used to replicate this effect. The variation in the
rise time with saturation magnetization (Ms) of the designed gyro-
magnetic NLTL is demonstrated in Fig. 16. The saturation magneti-
zation is related to the saturated flux density by26 Bs ¼ μ0 MS .
Additionally, we observe a minimum rise time at Bs = 0.30 T and a
steady decrease in the output pulse amplitude with increasing Ms.

FIG. 13. Varying the number of sections (n) of the designed gyromagnetic FIG. 15. Variation of rise time with an input voltage amplitude of the designed
NLTL and its corresponding effect on output pulse. gyromagnetic NLTL.

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FIG. 17. Block diagram of the measurement setup along with prototype (biasing
wires are not shown in the prototype).

FIG. 16. Variation of the rise time with saturation magnetization of the designed
gyromagnetic NLTL.
Conclusively, it is observed that we have maximum FOM based on
Eq. (28) having n = 12, α = 0.5, and saturation flux density of
0.275 T in the case of gyromagnetic NLTL. These parameters are
helpful in designing gyromagnetic NLTL having our desired pulse
performance. Based on the above discussion, it is clear that gyro-
magnetic NLTL can perform rise time compression and this com-
pression is superior in comparison to inductive NLTL. This is due
to the reason that inductive NLTL utilizes only inductive nonlinear-
ity of non-linear inductors while gyromagnetic NLTL utilizes the
stronger nonlinearity of the ferrite-based inductance.
The overall summary of the parametric analysis of the gyro-
magnetic NLTL is tabulated in Table II to see the behavior of dif-

14 December 2023 18:34:27

TABLE II. Summary of a parametric study of gyromagnetic NLTL.
Parameters
Number of NLTL sections, n
Damping parameter, α
Input voltage amplitude
Saturation flux density, Bs
ferent parameters on the output waveform. These important
parameters include input pulse variations, the number of NLTL
sections, damping parameter, and saturation magnetization.
Remarks
Increasing n, V. EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION
(a) increases the amplitude of
Finally, an experimental demonstration is carried out for which
output peak voltage;
a ten-section hybrid NLTL is designed, and its corresponding output
(b) considerable reduction in
response is measured to validate our theoretical analysis. Figure 17
ringing; and
provides the block diagram of our measurement setup. This
(c) decreases pulse duration and so
FWHM of the output pulse.
Increasing the damping parameter
decreases the rise time of the
output pulse waveform, thus
decreasing the corresponding pulse
duration.
Increasing input voltage amplitude:
(a) increases oscillation amplitude;
(b) decreases rise time of output
voltage; and
(c) decreases output pulse duration.
Increasing BS is set to decrease
pulse duration by reducing the rise
time of output voltage; however,
there exists BS where the rise time
starts to increase again and have
different values for different
magnetic materials. FIG. 18. Snapshot of the experimental demonstration.

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TABLE III. Summary and performances of hybrid and gyromagnetic NLTLs.

Hybrid NLTL Gyromagnetic NLTL

Hybrid NLTL provides an
opportunity for both rise and
fall edge transients to be
sharpened
Hybrid NLTL utilizes both
capacitive and inductive
nonlinearities
Sharpening behavior is
improved by increasing NLTL
sections
Several parameter variations
(R, L, G, and C) can be used
and so we have enough
flexibility
Compression is dependent on
parameters including load
FIG. 19. Simulated vs measured responses of ten section hybrid NLTL. resistance, input pulse duration
and amplitude, the number of
sections, and nonlinearity of
experimental setup is composed of an arbitrary waveform generator capacitors and inductors.
used for generating an input waveform. The designed ten-section The pulse oscillations in
NLTL is placed between a universal test fixture whose one terminal comparison to gyromagnetic
is connected to an arbitrary waveform generator while the other ter- NLTL are quite low.
minal to an oscilloscope. DC power supply is used to change the
Gyromagnetic NLTL provides
an opportunity for rise edge to
be sharpened
Gyromagnetic NLTL utilizes
inductive nonlinearity
Sharpening behavior is
improved by increasing NLTL
sections
Magnetic field strength can be
varied to achieve a desired
response
Compression is dependent on
input pulse duration and
amplitude, damping parameter,
saturation flux density, the
number of sections, and
magnetic field strength.
Can produce stronger pulse
oscillations at higher
frequencies.

14 December 2023 18:34:27

biasing of hybrid NLTL, and it is connected via biasing wires. The
output is observed on the oscilloscope and the corresponding proto-
type is also shown in Fig. 17. The snapshot taken during the experi-
mental demonstration is also given in Fig. 18, and the corresponding
simulated vs measured response of the ten-section hybrid NLTL is
displayed in Fig. 19. It can be seen that the measured and simulated
output responses are in a good agreement. To give a clear picture of
the overall work, we have also compared the output response from
theory, simulation, and measurements of ten-section hybrid NLTL
as shown in Fig. 20. It must be noted that there is a slight increase in
ringing behavior in the measured response due to parasitic elements.

VI. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYBRID AND

GYROMAGNETIC NLTLS
Now, we are in a position of comparatively examining the
gyromagnetic NLTL and hybrid NLTL based on the analysis pre-
sented in Secs. I–V. Simulations and measurements are taken into
account while making the observations to appreciate the difference
in a much more concise manner. This is completely summarized in
Table III in terms of critical parameters, and in this context, the
advantages and disadvantages of both NLTLs can be remarked as
well.

FIG. 20. Comparison of output response from theory, simulation, and measure-
ments of ten section hybrid NLTL.
VII. CONCLUSIONS
A comprehensive pulse compression capability analysis of
hybrid and gyromagnetic NLTLs is presented and discussed. Both
classes of NLTLs are theoretically analyzed and their corresponding
lumped-element models are developed. Parameters principally
responsible for pulse sharpening in hybrid NLTLs include the
number of NLTL sections, resistive load, input pulse variation,
capacitive, and inductive nonlinearity. It is shown that there exists
an optimum value for each parameter selection where the output

J. Appl. Phys. 132, 223902 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0128856 132, 223902-11

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 Journal of
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power becomes maximum. Parameters concerned with pulse sharp-
ening in gyromagnetic NLTLs include the number of NLTL sec-
tions, input pulse variation, damping parameter, and saturation
magnetization. All these parameters are modeled, and the selection
of optimum value is provided. Finally, the advantages and disad-
vantages of both classes of NLTLs are highlighted and summarized.
This work will provide an opportunity for the researchers to utilize
simultaneous capacitive and inductive nonlinearities in hybrid
NLTLs in the corresponding interconnection with magnetic materi-
als and will pave the way toward ultrafast electronic systems and
interconnects.
AUTHOR DECLARATIONS
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Author Contributions
MuhibUr Rahman: Conceptualization (lead); Data curation (lead);
Formal analysis (lead); Methodology (equal); Project administra-
tion (equal); Software (equal); Validation (lead); Visualization
(lead); Writing – original draft (lead). Ke Wu: Funding acquisition
(lead); Investigation (lead); Methodology (equal); Project adminis-
tration (equal); Resources (equal); Software (equal); Supervision
(lead); Writing – review & editing (lead).
DATA AVAILABILITY
The data that support the findings in this study are available
from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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