Self-oscillating mixing in a QW double barrier diode at W-band

We report the presence of self-oscillating mixing in an asymmetric quantum well double barrier diode at 86GHz. We have demonstrated that the QW device can be injection-locked to the RF signal, and that the intermediate frequency (IF) can exhibit both upper and sub harmonics. Conversion gain was measured and found to be typically –30 to –40dB, with a best measurement of –18.79dB. Under certain conditions, the IF could show wideband chaotic-like oscillations extending to 1500Mhz.     

DFB lasers with integrated electroabsorption modulator

We present high-performance 1550 nm DFB lasers with butt-coupled, bulk type integrated electroabsorption modulators of good manufacturability and reliability. Key issues in device design are reviewed and the strong influence of the exact detuning between lasing wavelength and modulator bandgap is demonstrated. Fibre-coupled output powers as large as 6 dBm and attenuation efficiencies as high as 12 dB V^–1 are obtained. Butterfly-packaged devices show only 1 dB penalty for 10 Gbit s^–1 NRZ transmission over 50-km standard single-mode fibre (SMF) without the use of an optical amplifier. With an optical booster amplifier, self-phase-modulation in the fibre is exploited and repeaterless 10 Gbit s^–1 transmission is possible over 150-km standard SMF.     

Current spreading effects in 680-nm-band self-sustained pulsating AlGalnP visible laser diodes

We have developed 680-nm-band AlGalnP visible laser diodes having very lowintensity noise with stable self-sustained pulsation. The pulsation characteristics were affected by current spreading outside the ridge stripe. We obtained AlGalnP visible laser diodes with stable self-sustained pulsation by optimizing the ridge structure. The lasers achieved relative intensity noise (RIN) as low as-136 dB Hz^–1 in the temperature range 20–50°C at 3 mW.     

The effects of external optical feedback on the power penalty of DFB-LD modules for 2.5Gbs−1 optical transmission systems

We report the effects of external optical feedback on the power penalty of commercial distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) modules for 2.5Gbs–1 optical transmission systems. External optical feedback presented to the DFB-LD modules causes the excitation of external cavity modes, resulting in increased relative intensity noise (RIN) and intensity noise ripples at low frequency region below 500MHz. For a 10–10 bit error rate (BER), the minimum power penalty is as much as 1.25dB for a feedback ratio of –8.8dB. An excess power penalty of 0.5dB per 3dB increase in the feedback ratio was also empirically obtained. We suggest that optical isolators in 2.5Gbs–1 DFB-LD modules used in conventional optical transmission systems or WDM systems must have a peak isolation ratio of better than 54.5dB, instead of the previously recommended 30dB, for negligible power penalty induced by external optical feedback.     

Submillimeter Wave Quasioptical Isolators with a Semiconductor-Based Circular Dichroic Mirror

A quasioptical isolator is studied which takes advantage of using a circular dichroic mirror for the development of a most difference between the reflection coefficients of the orthogonal circularly polarized waves. The dielectric-semiconductor and semiconductor-metal versions of the circular dichroic mirror are examined. The test show that the isolator built around the ftoroplast/n-InSb mirror makes available the wave range 0.83–1.03 mm with forward loss 2.5–3.0 dB, reverse loss 15–21 dB, and VSWR 1.02–1.14, the longitudinal magnetic field is 1.3 kGs. The isolator with the n-InSb/metal mirror covers the 0.96–1.00 mm range and offers forward loss 2.5 dB, reverse loss 20–27 dB, and VSWR less than 1.2, with the longitudinal magnetic field 0.94 kGs. A possibility of the further advancement of the devices of this kind is shown.     

Mid-infrared spectroscopic studies and lasing in GaAs–AlGaAs quantum cascade devices

Complementary intersubband and interband optical measurements have been employed in order to study GaAs–AlGaAs quantum cascade light-emitting diode and laser structures. Using these techniques, we have measured the redistribution of electrons throughout the bridging regions and upper states in the active regions of the diode device with increasing bias. The high quality of the sample gives very narrow line widths in the optical spectra, permitting the resolution of transitions involving closely spaced energy levels. This has allowed the direct observation of level alignment at the onset of current flow through the device. In addition, stimulated emission at λ=9.7 μm has been observed from a GaAs–AlGaAs laser structure under pulsed operation. A threshold current density of 6.5 kA/cm² and peak power 300 mW are measured at 10 K and lasing operation is observed up to 200 K.     

Maximum number of connectable laser diode optical switch (LDSW) systems

The maximum number of connectable laser diode optical switches (LDSWs) was studied through the baseband signal-to-noise ratio calculation. For an NRZ 100 Mbits^–1 PCM-IM signal, 60 stages of LDSWs can be connected with a 6-nm optical bandpass filter inserted after the last stage at an input signal level of –30 dB m and an internal gain of 16 dB. A PCM-IM signal of 10 Gbits^–1 can be transmitted through 130 stages of LDSWs at an internal gain of 8 dB and an input signal level of –20 dB m.     

The g–r noise in quantum well semiconductor lasers and its relation with device reliability

The g–r noise in quantum well semiconductor lasers is studied theoretically and experimentally. The results indicate that the g–r noise is dependent on bias current, the devices show the g–r a noise only at low bias current, with the bias current increasing, the g–r noise will disappear. The g–r noise has a close relation with defects; the devices with g–r noise degrade rapidly during the electric aging. It is means that measuring the noise at low bias current is very important for estimating device reliability.     

Oropharyngeal pH Monitoring for the Detection of Liquid and Aerosolized Supraesophageal Gastric Reflux

The association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and extraesophageal symptoms is poorly understood and difficult to document. pH monitoring in this group of patients has resulted in conflicting data due to lack of diagnostic sensitivity. Recently, a new sensitive pH device for detection of liquid and aerosolized droplets in the oropharynx (The Dx–pH Measurement System [Dx–pH]) has become available. Our hypothesis is that we will be able to improve our ability to identify and understand this group of patients with this device. The aim of this preliminary observation study was to compare the results of this new device to the standard esophageal and pharyngeal pH probes in a small group of patients with extraesophageal symptoms. Patients with suspected extraesophageal GER symptoms underwent traditional 24-hour esophago-pharyngeal pH monitoring (24pH) simultaneous with Dx–pH monitoring in the oropharynx. Tracings were reviewed for comparison and correlation between the two probes, with an event in the Dx–pH Probe being defined as a rapid drop >3 standard deviation from baseline. Fifteen patients (10 females, 5 males) with mean age of 57.5 years (range, 25–75) were studied. The predominant chief complaint included 12/15 chronic cough, 2/15 asthma; and 1/15 throat clearing. All Dx–pH events were preceded and associated with distal esophageal pH drops in a progressive ante grade manner. Ten patients had 1–13 abnormal oropharyngeal pH events as measured by Dx–pH monitoring with a total of 48 events. The median pH of reflux events had a statistically significant increase from 3.1 at the distal esophageal probe to 5.2 at the pharynx and 5.6 at the oropharynx, the latter being 80% higher than the distal esophageal probe (P < 0.001). The percentage of acid events decreased in a cephalad manner from 66.7% at distal esophagus to 25% at the pharynx and only 6.25% at the oropharyngeal Dx–pH Probe, with the remaining events being weakly acidic. Dx–pH Probe is a new sensitive oropharyngeal pH device whose values correlate well with the gold-standard 24-hour pH device, and appears to accurately detect pH events that begin at the distal esophagus and travel upward to the oropharynx. This device suggests that supraesophageal events manifest themselves as rapid pH drops (>10%), which are likely not to be identified using the standard criteria of pH <4 due to the gradient of increasing pH from the lower esophagus to the oropharynx.     

Characteristics of Gain-Guided Laser Diodes with Cylindrical-Mirror Cavity

We have developed highly reliable etched-mirror laser diodes using a dry etching method. The lasers without facet-coating have been operating stably over 2500 h under automatic-power control (APC) at a power of 3 mW/facet at 50°C. The gain-guided laser diodes with a cylindrical-mirror cavity (CMC) have coaxial mirrors and a fan-shaped stripe structure. By decreasing the curvature radius of the inner facet or increasing the stripe width of the inner facet, the beam waist parallel to the junction plane can be moved outside of the laser diode, while the beam waist perpendicular to the junction plane stops at the mirror facet. A particular CMC laser has a low astigmatism of 4.1 μm and a low relative intensity of noise (RIN) less than –134 dB/Hz at 4 mW under 0–1% optical feedback without high frequency current superposition.     

Characterization of Submillimeter Wave Absorbers from 200–600 GHz

This paper presents measurements of both specular and non-specular scattering from several submillimeter wave absorber materials designed for antenna testing and from low-cost carpet materials. The frequency range is 200–600 GHz in specular scattering, and 300–400 GHz in non-specular scattering measurements. The constructed bistatic test bench allows testing of the full continuous angular range of 0°–90°. The measurement results show large differences in performance of different materials. It is shown that reflectivities below –50 dB over limited angular ranges are possible with a correct alignment of the material. Also, low-cost carpet materials have lower than –15 dB reflectivities in most angles, and may be useful in non-critical parts of the antenna test range. The results can be used to optimise the absorber placement inside an antenna range, concerning both best performance and lowest cost.     

Modeling of magnetically controlled Si-based optoelectronic devices

We present a theoretical analysis and results of modeling of a new integrated device for spintronics application, which is based on a hybrid metal–semiconductor structure. The proposed device consists of a Si-based p–i–n photodetector sandwiched between two layers of a ferromagnetic metal (3d ferromagnet or half-metallic compound). Electron–hole pairs are created in the semiconductor part of the structure by light illumination. The photocurrent flowing in such a system is shown to depend on its magnetic configuration. This is due to a difference in the specular reflection (as well as in the diffuse scattering) of spin-up and spin-down electrons and holes from magnetically polarized layers—similar to giant magnetoresistance effect in magnetic multilayers. This, in turn, allows controlling the device performance by an externally applied magnetic field. We have estimated magnitude of the effect and also determined the role of relevant material parameters.     

Community responses to road traffic noise in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam is a developing country in southeast Asia, and its environment has been seriously affected by industrialization and urbanization. In large cities like Hanoi (northern Vietnam) and Ho Chi Minh City (southern Vietnam), noise emission from road traffic has been found to be a serious concern among general public. In 2005 and 2007, two large-scale socio-acoustic surveys of community response to road traffic noise were conducted to investigate human reactions to road traffic noise in these cities; the sample sizes were 1503 people in Hanoi and 1471 in Ho Chi Minh City. The noise exposure levels (L_den) were 70–83 dB in Hanoi and 75–83 dB in Ho Chi Minh City. Noise annoyance was estimated using standardized annoyance scales. For both cities, dose–response relationships were established between L_den and the percentage of highly annoyed respondents. Compared to annoyance responses of European people, Vietnamese were less annoyed by road traffic noise by about 5 dB. Hanoi respondents seemed to be more annoyed by noise than Ho Chi Minh City respondents. Conversation and sleep disturbances were not as serious as expected in either city. Furthermore, window orientation in the home was found to affect activity disturbances.     

Computer modeling of MWIR single heterojunction photodetector based on mercury cadmium telluride

In the present paper, an abrupt heterojunction photodetector based on Hg_1 − xCd_xTe (MCT) has been simulated theoretically for mid-infrared applications. A semi-analytical simulation of the device has been carried out in order to study the performance ratings of the photodetector for operation at room temperature. The energy band diagram, carrier concentration, electric field profile, dark current, resistance–area product, quantum efficiency and detectivity have been calculated and optimized as a function of different parameters such as device thickness, applied reverse voltage and operating wavelength. The effect of energy band offsets in conduction and valance band on the transportation of minority carriers has been studied. The influences of doping concentration, electron affinity gradient and the p–n junction position within heterostructure on potential barrier have been analyzed. The optical characterization has been carried out in respect of quantum efficiency, and detectivity of the heterojunction photodetector. In present model the Johnson–Nyquist and shot noise has been considered in calculation of detectivity. The simulated results has been compared and contrasted with the available experimental results. Results of our analytical-cum-simulation study reveal that under suitable biasing condition, the photodetector offers a dark current, I_D ≈ 6.5 × 10⁻¹² A, a zero-bias resistance–area product, R₀A ≈ 11.3 Ω m², quantum efficiency, η ≈ 78%, NEP = 2 × 10⁻¹² W Hz^1/2 and detectivity D^* ≈ 4.7 × 10¹⁰ mHz^1/2/W.     

Synchrotron radiation for long wavelength spectroscopy

A fundamental radiometric measurement has been carried out in the spectral region 1–140 cm^–1 which demonstrates the higher brightness of the synchrotron radiation source at Daresbury Laboratory over a high pressure mercury arc lamp source. Comparison of the output powers from the SRS and the mercury lamp revealed that the SRS has a particular advantage in the region where the wavelength of the emitted photon becomes very longer. The gain factor of the SRS at 10 cm^–1 was at least 10 times of the mercury lamp at a storage ring current of about 90 mA.A single period wiggler is considered to be a favorable device which will provide a higher level of photon fluxes from an electron storage ring in the long wavelength region.     

Study of noise characteristics of baw and SAW quartz resonators

The low-frequency noise of bulk- and surface-acoustic-wave (BAW and SAW) resonators at frequencies of from 100 to 600 MHz is studied. It is shown that both SAW and BAW resonators have parameter (resonant-frequency) fluctuations with 1/f power spectra with considerable intensity spreads: approximately 20 dB for SAW and more than 30 dB for BAW resonators. The phase-noise floor of 100-MHz oscillators with BAW resonators is –150 dB/Hz for a 1-kHz offset frequency. The phase-noise level of oscillators with SAW resonators at 400–600 MHz is higher by 5–10 dB (scaled to a 100-MHz carrier frequency).Presented at All-Union Coordinating Conference Low-Frequency Noise in Semiconductor Devices (Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, June, 1991).Ural Polytechnic Institute. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 36, No. 12, pp. 1143–1152, December, 1993.     

Parameter optimization and characteristic analysis of a polymer microring resonant wavelength multiplexer

Novel formulas of transmission functions are presented, some parameters are optimized, and transmission characteristics are analyzed for a polymer microring resonant wavelength multiplexer around the central wavelength of 1.55 μm with the wavelength spacing of 5.6 nm and with eight vertical output channels. The computed results show that the designed device possesses some excellent features including the 3 dB bandwidth of 0.25 μm, weaker background light of 3.8×10⁻⁴, smaller inserted loss of less than 0.6 dB, and lower crosstalk below −20 dB for every vertical output channel.     

Hybrid solar cells using nanorod zinc oxide electrodes and perylene monoimide–monoanhydride dyes

Hybrid solar cells have been fabricated using perylene monoimide–monoanhydride dyes with nanorod zinc oxide electrodes as electron transporting layers. We have investigated the influence of the spacer alkyl chain length of perylene monoimide–monoanhydride (PMIMA) dyes on the device performance in hybrid solar cells using nanorod zinc oxide electrodes. Nanorod zinc oxide electrodes with 50–150 nm of diameter were synthesized in the presence of PEG400 by using microwave heating method. We observed that the dyes with longer and brunched alkyl chains exhibit higher efficiencies in hybrid solar cells. We report the highest efficiency obtained with zinc oxide nanorods under standard conditions for perylene monoimide–monoanhydride derivative with PMIMA_1 that performs 400 mV open circuit voltage, 2.81 mA/cm² short-circuit current and 0.59% overall conversion efficiency.     

180–425 GHz low noise SIS waveguide receivers employing tuned Nb/AIOx/Nb tunnel junctions

We report recent results on a 20% reduced height 270–425 GHz SIS waveguide receiver employing a 0.49 µm² Nb/AlO _x /Nb tunnel junction. A 50% operating bandwidth is achieved by using a RF compensated junction mounted in a two-tuner reduced height waveguide mixer block. The junction uses an end-loaded tuning stub with two quarter-wave transformer sections. We demonstrate that the receiver can be tuned to give 0–2 dB of conversion gain and 50–80% quantum efficiency over parts of it's operating range. The measured instantaneous bandwidth of the receiver is 25 GHz which ensures virtually perfect double sideband mixer response. Best noise temperatures are typically obtained with a mixer conversion loss of 0.5 to 1.5 dB giving uncorrected receiver and mixer noise temperatures of 50K and 42K respectively at 300 and 400 GHz. The measured double sideband receiver noise temperature is less than 100K from 270 GHz to 425 GHz with a best value of 48K at 376 GHz, within a factor of five of the quantum limit. The 270–425 GHz receiver has a full 1 GHz IF passband and has been successfully installed at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory in Hawaii. Preliminary tests of a similar junction design in a full height 230 GHz mixer block indicate large conversion gain and receiver noise temperatures below 50K DSB from 200–300 GHz. Best operation is again achieved with the mixer tuned for 0.5–1.5 dB conversion loss which at 258 GHz resulted in receiver and mixer noise temperature of 34K and 27K respectively.     

Asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators with an InGaAs/AlGaAs active region

Strained layer superlattices have been used as the active region in asymmetric Fabry-Perot cavity optical modulators. The active layer of the Fabry-Perot modulator consisted of a 50 period In_0.15 Ga_0.85As/Al_0.30Ga_0.70As (10nm/10nm) superlattice. These quantum wells operate at typical wavelength of around 960 nm. By varying the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity in the modulator by including AlGaAs space layers of different thicknesses in the cavity, it is shown experimentally that both normally on and normally off devices can be obtained using the same stack of quantum wells. For the first type of device operation, a maximum contrast ratio of 8.3 dB could be measured for a reverse voltage of 7 V at 969 nm, while for the second type, a maximum of 8.9 dB at 957 nm was obtained for a 20 V reverse voltage. Using the same structure with an extra Bragg reflector on top of the quantum well layers to increase the surface reflection, a device with a higher finesse of the cavity was obtained. A maximum contrast ratio of 11.5 dB was measured for a reverse bias voltage of 30 V at 978 nm, with an insertion loss of –4.2dB.