Potentials evoked by the sinusoidal modulation of the amplitude or frequency of a tone

Steady state responses to the sinusoidal modulation of the amplitude or frequency of a tone were recorded from the human scalp. For both amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM), the responses were most consistent at modulation frequencies between 30 and 50 Hz. However, reliable responses could also be recorded at lower frequencies, particularly at 2-5 Hz for AM and at 3-7 Hz for FM. With increasing modulation depth at 40 Hz, both the AM and FM response increased in amplitude, but the AM response tended to saturate at large modulation depths. Neither response showed any significant change in phase with changes in modulation depth. Both responses increased in amplitude and decreased in phase delay with increasing intensity of the carrier tone, the FM response showing some saturation of amplitude at high intensities. Both responses could be recorded at modulation depths close to the subjective threshold for detecting the modulation and at intensities close to the subjective threshold for hearing the stimulus. The responses were variable but did not consistently adapt over periods of 10 min. The 40-Hz AM and FM responses appear to originate in the same generator, this generator being activated by separate auditory systems that detect changes in either amplitude or frequency.     

Laser beam deflection by frequency shifting

A new type of beam scanner has been developed which utilizes frequency shifting of a laser beam followed by deflection of the beam in a dispersive element. Theoretical considerations involve the maximization of the frequency shift and number of resolvable spots. An experimental deflector has been constructed which employs a mode-locked 0.633 μm He-Ne laser, lithium-niobate frequency shifter, and a Fabry-Perot dispersion element. Scans of 15 resolvable spots have been obtained with a theoretical access time of 18.5 ns.     

Enhancing and unmasking the harmonics of a complex tone

Alternately eliminating and reintroducing a particular harmonic of a complex tone can cause that harmonic to stand out as a pure tone-separately audible from the rest of the complex-tone background. In the psychoacoustical literature the effect is known as "enhancement." Pitch matching experiments presented in this article show that although harmonics above the 10th are not spectrally resolved, harmonics up to at least the 20th can be enhanced. Therefore, resolution is not required for enhancement. Further, during those experimental intervals in which a harmonic is eliminated, excitation pattern models suggest that listeners should be able to hear out a neighboring harmonic-separately audible from the background. The latter effect has been called "unmasking." In the present article we provide the first experimental evidence for unmasking. Harmonics of 200 Hz, with harmonic numbers between about 5 and 16, are readily unmasked. Their pitches are usually matched by sine tones with frequencies that are not exactly those of the unmasked harmonics but are shifted in a direction away from the frequency of the pulsed harmonic. Phase relationships among the harmonics that produce temporally compact cochlear excitation lead to reduced enhancement but greater unmasking.     

Far-infrared frequency shifting by optically induced gratings in semiconductors

A first approach to frequency shifting of far-infrared radiation by optically induced “moving” refractive index gratings in semiconductors is reported. The factors determining the performance of this frequency shifting technique are inferred using a one-dimensional analytical model. In a proof-of-principle experiment frequency shifting of 119 μm radiation was observed up to 80 MHz using a 300 mW, 488 nm Ar⁺ laser for optical excitation.     

The frequency shifting of laser light by electro-optic techniques

In velocity measurements by the laser Doppler method, a requirement exists for changing the frequency of one light beam with respect to another derived from the same source. This is particularly useful for the determination of the sign of a velocity. The required frequency shifting or single side-band generation can be accomplished by the use of electro-optical effects and a number of possible arrangements are discussed. Trials were made using Kerr cells and electro-optic crystals and single side-band generation demonstrated by a simple Doppler beating experiment. If a low efficiency can be tolerated as in Doppler beating with a reference beam, the production of a pure frequency shifted beam is not difficult up to frequencies of a few megahertz. The differential Doppler or fringe system however requires shifted and non-shifted beams of equal intensity and hence high efficiency conversion is imperative. Radio-frequency driving power requirements may also be a limitation. The theoretical efficiencies of various multi-cell electro-optic arrangements have been calculated as a function of R.F. excitation. The possible efficiency approaches unity as the number of cells is increased.     

Laser frequency stabilization and shifting by using modulation transfer spectroscopy

The stabilizing and shifting of laser frequency are very important for the interaction between the laser and atoms. The modulation transfer spectroscopy for the87 Rb atom with D2 line transition F = 2 → F = 3 is used for stabilizing and shifting the frequency of the external cavity grating feedback diode laser. The resonant phase modulator with electro–optical effect is used to generate frequency sideband to lock the laser frequency. In the locking scheme, circularly polarized pump- and probe-beams are used. By optimizing the temperature of the vapor, the pump- and probe-beam intensity, the laser linewidth of 280 kHz is obtained. Furthermore, the magnetic field generated by a solenoid is added into the system. Therefore the system can achieve the frequency locking at any point in a range of hundreds of megahertz frequency shifting with very low power loss.     

FLaser frequency stabilization and shifting by using modulation transfer spectroscopy

The stabilizing and shifting of laser frequency are very important for the interaction between the laser and atoms. The modulation transfer spectroscopy for the 87Rb atom with D2 line transition F = 2 →F＇ = 3 is used for stabilizing and shifting the frequency of the external cavity grating feedback diode laser. The resonant phase modulator with electro-optical effect is used to generate frequency sideband to lock the laser frequency. In the locking scheme, circularly polarized pump- and probe-beams are used. By optimizing the temperature of the vapor, the pump- and probe-beam intensity, the laser linewidth of 280 kHz is obtained. Furthermore, the magnetic field generated by a solenoid is added into the system. Therefore the system can achieve the frequency locking at any point in a range of hundreds of megahertz frequency shifting with very low power loss.     

Microwave frequency shifting using photon acceleration

Using a Bostick Gun as a plasma source, we have been investigating the effects of a moving plasma front on the frequency of an incident R.F. signal. We have been able to measure frequency shifts of 10 MHz frequency with a 2.6 GHz signal. The density is such that the plasma frequency is well above the transmitter frequency 1.3 meters from the plasma source. No magnetic field is used.     

Demonstration of microwave frequency shifting by use of a highly chirped mode-locked fiber laser

We report an experimental demonstration of a photonic microwave shifter using a highly chirped mode-locked fiber laser. The system is based on dispersive compression or expansion of highly chirped optical pulses that are amplitude modulated by the microwave signal. Using this technique, we demonstrated frequency shifting of a microwave signal from 10 GHz down to 5 GHz and up to 25 GHz.     

Laser Doppler velocimeter with optical frequency shifting

A bi-directional laser Doppler velocimeter utilizing optical frequency shifting has been developed. Optical frequency shifting is achieved by using a rotating radial grating. A high diffraction efficiency permits the system to be used in the fringe mode. The zero velocity frequency shift can be varied from 0.1 to 2.5 MHz with a stability better than 0.2%. Important applications are velocity measurements in reversing flows, highly turbulent flows, two-phase flows, and boundary layers. The system described may also be used for vibration analysis. Experimental results are presented.     

Enhancing Chinese tone recognition by manipulating amplitude envelope: implications for cochlear implants

Tone recognition is important for speech understanding in tonal languages such as Mandarin Chinese. Cochlear implant patients are able to perceive some tonal information by using temporal cues such as periodicity-related amplitude fluctuations and similarities between the fundamental frequency (F0) contour and the amplitude envelope. The present study investigates whether modifying the amplitude envelope to better resemble the F0 contour can further improve tone recognition in multichannel cochlear implants. Chinese tone and vowel recognition were measured for six native Chinese normal-hearing subjects listening to a simulation of a four-channel cochlear implant speech processor with and without amplitude envelope enhancement. Two algorithms were proposed to modify the amplitude envelope to more closely resemble the F0 contour. In the first algorithm, the amplitude envelope as well as the modulation depth of periodicity fluctuations was adjusted for each spectral channel. In the second algorithm, the overall amplitude envelope was adjusted before multichannel speech processing, thus reducing any local distortions to the speech spectral envelope. The results showed that both algorithms significantly improved Chinese tone recognition. By adjusting the overall amplitude envelope to match the F0 contour before multichannel processing, vowel recognition was better preserved and less speech-processing computation was required. The results suggest that modifying the amplitude envelope to more closely resemble the F0 contour may be a useful approach toward improving Chinese-speaking cochlear implant patients' tone recognition.     

Numerical investigation of low-frequency instability and frequency shifting in a scramjet combustor

The combustion instability in a laboratory-scale direct-connect hydrogen-fueled scramjet combustor is investigated numerically. The numerical simulation has been carried out using a delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) with a detailed reaction mechanism. The computational framework has high fidelity by applying multi-dimensional high order accurate schemes for handling convective and viscous fluxes. The field data were accumulated up to 100 milliseconds on each case to capture sufficiently the repetitive behavior of low-frequency instability of order of 100 Hz. The numerical results exhibit the formation/dissipation of pressure and shock wave induced by continuous heat release in the combustor. This motion of pressure/shock wave, so-called upstream-traveling shock wave, presents repeated dynamics between isolator and combustor with a period of several milliseconds. With this periodic hydrodynamic characteristic, the upstream-traveling shock wave interacts with the boundary layer and injected fuel stream affecting fuel/air mixing and burning, and finally inducing the combustion instability in a scramjet combustor. Frequency analysis derived major instability frequencies of 190 Hz and 450 Hz in the isolator and combustor for low and high equivalence ratios, respectively. Current numerical results present the underlying flow physics on the shifting of the instability frequency by changing the equivalence ratio observed by the previous experimental studies. The fact that an instability frequency exists homogeneously from isolator to combustor informs that the combustion instability of scramjet engine is the fully coupled flow/combustion dynamics throughout the engine on a macroscopic scale.     

Enhancing the low frequency sound absorption of a perforated panel by parallel-arranged extended tubes

This paper is concerned with the use of a perforated panel with extended tubes (PPET) to improve the sound absorption confined to low frequencies. In comparison with a micro-perforated panel (MPP), the sound absorption can be significantly improved by using the PPET at the expense of the bandwidth of the sound absorption. A particular configuration combining four parallel-arranged PPETs with different cavities is introduced to achieve a wider bandwidth of the sound absorption at low frequencies. The analysis is extended to the combination of three parallel-arranged PPETs and a MPP to further increase the bandwidth of the sound absorption. A theoretical model is described to predict the sound absorption coefficient and the simulated annealing method is introduced to the proposed absorbers, allowing optimization of the overall performance. The theory with experimental validations demonstrates that the proposed configurations offer a potential improvement of more than one octave in the bandwidth of the sound absorption at low frequencies.     

High-precision optical phase-locking based on wideband acousto-optical frequency shifting

We present a high-precision optical phase-locking based on wideband acousto-optical frequency shifting.Increasing the modulating bandwidth stabilizes the loop at a high loop gain,thus improving phase correction capability.An optical phase-locked loop with a wide control bandwidth is constructed.The closed-loop residual phase error is only 0.26°or smaller than λ/1000.The loop exhibits excellent correction capability for high-frequency noises.The correctable frequency range reaches 35 kHz when the noise amplitude is ±λ/2,and becomes even wider for smaller noise amplitudes.     

Enhancing low frequency sound transmission measurements using a synthesis method

The characterization of low frequency sound transmission between two rooms via a flexible panel is investigated experimentally in this work. Previously, the individual effects of the transmission suite on the measured sound reduction index have been studied analytically, and the results have been compared with the ideal case of having free field radiation conditions on both sides of the panel. A new approach is proposed using a near-field array of loudspeakers driven by a set of optimized signals such that a diffuse pressure field is reproduced on the surface of the partition to be tested. The practical effectiveness of this method is assessed when using a set of 16 acoustic sources located in the source reverberant room in close proximity to an aluminium panel. The experimental results obtained confirm the dependence of the characterized sound reduction index on the particular test chamber considered in the low frequency range. They also validate the proposed synthesis method for providing an estimate that only depends on the properties of the partition itself.     

Control of peaks of terahertz radiation and tuning of its frequency and intensity

We propose to employ dark hollow laser beams (DHBs) for obtaining multifocal terahertz (THz) radiations which are quite useful in medical applications. The number of peaks in the THz field can be suppressed if we apply external magnetic field and use intense lasers so that the relativistic effects are prominent. It means we can achieve strong bifocal THz radiation with this scheme. However, multifocal THz radiation can be reconstituted by increasing the beating frequency of the lasers. The separation of the peaks can be controlled by wisely choosing the orders of the lasers, and also by varying the strength of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is found to enhance the THz field, and also it tunes the frequency of the THz field. The DHBs of higher and equal orders are found to be most significant for efficient THz radiation generation with respect to the role of the magnetic field and density ripples.