Behaviors of cubic distortion product otoacoustic emissions evoked by amplitude modulated tones

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured using sinusoidal amplitude modulation (AM) tones. When one of the primary stimuli (f(1) or f(2), f(1)?< f(2)) was amplitude modulated, a series of changes in the cubic difference tone (CDT) were observed. In the frequency domain, multiple sidebands were present around the CDT and their sizes grew with the modulation depth of the AM stimulus. In the time domain, the CDT showed different modulation patterns between two major signal conditions: the AM tone was used as the f(1) or the f(2). The CDT amplitude followed the AM tone when the f(1) was amplitude modulated. However, when the AM tone acted as the f(2), the CDT showed a more complex modulation pattern with a notch present at the AM tone peak. The relatively linear dependence of CDT on f(1) and the nonlinear relation with f(2) can be explained with a variable gain-control model representing hair cell functions at the DPOAE generation site. It is likely that processing of AM signals at a particular cochlear location depends on whether the hair cells are tuned to the frequency of the carrier. Nonlinear modulation is related to on-frequency carriers and off-frequency carriers are processed relatively linearly.     

Tunable Two-Frequency Lasers for Lifetime Measurements

We built a compact two-tunable-frequency longitudinally pumped solid-state laser specially designed to measure atomic lifetimes. Weak coupling between the laser eigenstates permits the obtaining of a continuously tunable frequency difference between 0 and 10 GHz. Such a source provides either a linear polarization rotating at such frequencies, or a sinusoidally modulated intensity with a 100% modulation amplitude. As an example, the fluorescence lifetime of the first excited state of Cr⁴⁺ in YAG is measured in the zero-fluence limit using a two-frequency Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm.     

电离层调制加热产生极低频/甚低频波定向辐射的理论分析

通过低电离层调制加热能够产生极低频/甚低频(ELF/VLF)波. 基于调制加热理论, 并引入相控阵天线思想, 建立了通过双波束幅度调制模式(DAM)和圆形几何调制模式(CGM)产生ELF/VLF波的定向辐射模型, 并通过与实验数据的对比验证了模型的正确性. 据此模型, 采用HARRP加热阵参数, 对比分析了上述两种定向辐射模式与常规幅度调制模式(AM)之间的特性差异, 并研究了调制频率(f_ELF/VLF)和加热波束与垂直方向倾角(ψ)对各模式的影响. 结果表明: 相对AM模式, 通过合理设置初始相位、f_ELF/VLF和ψ, DAM 模式和CGM模式在实现ELF/VLF信号定向辐射的同时还可以提高其辐射强度, 相对AM模式, CGM模式信号强度最大提高约11.3 dB. 关键词： 定向辐射 双波束幅度调制 圆形几何调制     

Timing Jitter in Amplitude Modulated Harmonically Mode-Locked Er-Doped Fiber Ring Lasers

The phase noise and the amplitude noise of optical pulses from the amplitude modulated harmonically mode-locked (AM-HML) Er-doped fiber (EDF) ring laser was investigated by measuring the power spectra of the optical pulses. The root mean square (RMS) timing jitter and the RMS amplitude noise are 1.26 ps and 2.5% (500 Hz-50 kHz), respectively, when the pulse repetition frequency is 1.58 GHz. They are smaller than those in conventional harmonically mode-locked EDF ring lasers.     

Critical modulation frequency based on detection of AM versus FM tones

The ratios between the modulation index (eta) for just noticeable FM of a sinusoidally modulated pure tone and the degree of modulation (m) for just noticeable AM at the same carrier and the same modulation frequency were measured at carrier frequencies of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz. Signal levels were 20 dB SL and 50 dB SPL or 80 dB SPL. At low modulation frequencies, for example, 8 Hz, AM and FM elicit very different auditory sensations (i.e., a fluctuation in loudness or pitch, respectively). In this case, eta and m show different values for just noticeable modulation. Since both stimuli have almost equal amplitude spectra if eta equals m (m less than 0.3), the difference in detection thresholds reflects differences in the phase relation between carrier and sidebands in AM and FM. With increasing modulation frequency, the eta-m ratio decreases and reaches unity at a modulation frequency called the "critical modulation frequency" (CMF). At modulation frequencies above the CMF, the same modulation thresholds are obtained for AM and FM. Therefore, it can be concluded that the difference in phase between the two types of stimuli is not perceived in this range. At center frequencies below 1 kHz, where phase errors caused by headphones and ear canal presumably are small, the CMF is useful in estimating critical bandwidth.     

Stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions measured with amplitude-modulated suppressor tones (L)

Stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs) are typically derived as the difference in sound pressure in the ear canal with and without a suppressor tone added to the probe tone. A novel variation of this method applies a sinusoidal amplitude modulation (AM) to the suppressor tone, which causes the SFOAE to also be modulated. The AM-SFOAE can be separated from the probe frequency using spectral methods. AM-SFOAE measurements are described for four normal-hearing subjects using 6-Hz AM. Because the suppressor modulation is at a higher rate, the AM-SFOAE technique avoids the confounding influence of heartbeat, which also modulates the probe tone.     

Perception of amplitude and frequency modulated signals (mixed modulation)

This article discusses the detection of mixed modulation, i.e., simultaneous amplitude and frequency modulation (MM). The investigations have incorporated both a sine wave modulating signal and an irregular modulating signal, a very narrow noise band, of a specified center frequency. The results revealed that for a sinusoidal low-frequency modulating signal, amplitude and frequency changes that were separately subthreshold could be detected by listeners in mixed modulation. This indicates summation of sensations caused by simultaneous AM and FM modulation. This effect was not observed in the case of the irregular modulating signal. A hypothesis is advanced that the perception of modulated signals is governed by two mechanisms, viz., temporal and spectral. The operation of the two mechanisms depends mainly on the modulating frequency. The type of modulation does not play any significant role in this case.     

Selectivity of modulation interference for consonant identification in normal-hearing listeners

The present study sought to establish whether speech recognition can be disrupted by the presence of amplitude modulation (AM) at a remote spectral region, and whether that disruption depends upon the rate of AM. The goal was to determine whether this paradigm could be used to examine which modulation frequencies in the speech envelope are most important for speech recognition. Consonant identification for a band of speech located in either the low- or high-frequency region was measured in the presence of a band of noise located in the opposite frequency region. The noise was either unmodulated or amplitude modulated by a sinusoid, a band of noise with a fixed absolute bandwidth, or a band of noise with a fixed relative bandwidth. The frequency of the modulator was 4, 16, 32, or 64 Hz. Small amounts of modulation interference were observed for all modulator types, irrespective of the location of the speech band. More important, the interference depended on modulation frequency, clearly supporting the existence of selectivity of modulation interference with speech stimuli. Overall, the results suggest a primary role of envelope fluctuations around 4 and 16 Hz without excluding the possibility of a contribution by faster rates.     

Binaural processing of modulated interaural level differences

Two experiments are presented that measure the acuity of binaural processing of modulated interaural level differences (ILDs) using psychoacoustic methods. In both experiments, dynamic ILDs were created by imposing an interaurally antiphasic sinusoidal amplitude modulation (AM) signal on high-frequency carriers, which were presented over headphones. In the first experiment, the sensitivity to dynamic ILDs was measured as a function of the modulation frequency using puretone, and interaurally correlated and uncorrelated narrow-band noise carriers. The intrinsic interaural level fluctuations of the uncorrelated noise carriers raised the ILD modulation detection thresholds with respect to the pure-tone carriers. The diotic fluctuations of the correlated noise carriers also caused a small increase in the thresholds over the pure-tone carriers, particularly with low ILD modulation frequencies. The second experiment investigated the modulation frequency selectivity in dynamic ILD processing by imposing an interaurally uncorrelated bandpass noise AM masker in series with the interaurally antiphasic AM signal on a pure-tone carrier. By varying the masker center frequencies relative to the signal modulation frequency, broadly tuned, bandpass-shaped patterns were obtained. Simulations with an existing binaural model show that a low-pass filter to limit the binaural temporal resolution is not sufficient to predict the results of the experiments.     

基于色散不对称光纤环形镜的锁模光纤激光器

在理论上数值计算了各种常量对色散不对称非线性光纤环形镜透射特性的影响。并分析了它作为被动锁模器件用于光纤激光器压窄脉冲的物理机制。利用8字形主被动混合锁模的结构在调制频率为9．998748700 GHz，波长为1566．65nm处获得了11ps的稳定锁模脉冲输出．对应谱宽0．297nm．同时在重复频率为9．995792825 GHz和9．996778256 GHz时分别得到了振幅均匀的二阶和三阶谐波锁模输出。证明色散不对称非线性光纤环形镜可以有效消减脉冲的尾翼和噪声．得到脉幅稳定的脉冲序列。     

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.     

谐振型光纤陀螺方波频率调制方法

分析了谐振型光纤陀螺(R FOG)方波频率调制方法的工作原理和调制性能,得到了采用方波频率调制时R_FOG的极限灵敏度,并对方波频率调制和正弦频率调制两类调制方法的特性进行了比较。结果表明,方波调制方法的极限灵敏度优于正弦频率调制方法的极限灵敏度,其输出信号为方波强度调制信号,易于与I_FOG中类似的数字解调方法相结合,是实现全数字处理R_FOG的较理想的调制方案。     

Radio-over-fiber AM-to-FM upconversion using an optically injected semiconductor laser

A radio-over-fiber system uses light to carry a microwave subcarrier on optical fibers. The microwave is usually frequency modulated for wireless broadcasting. A conventional optical communication system usually operates at the baseband with amplitude modulation. The interface of the two systems thus needs an upconversion from the baseband to the microwave band with AM-to-FM transformation. An all-optical solution employing an optically injected semiconductor laser is investigated. The laser is operated in a dynamic state, where its intensity oscillates at a microwave frequency that varies with the injection strength. When the injection carries AM data, the microwave is frequency modulated accordingly. We demonstrate optical conversion from an OC-12 622-Mbps AM baseband signal to the corresponding FM microwave signal. The microwave is centered at 15.90 GHz. A bit-error rate of less than 10(-9) is measured.     

Detection of combined frequency and amplitude modulation.

This article is concerned with the detection of mixed modulation (MM), i.e., simultaneously occurring amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM). In experiment 1, an adaptive two-alternative forced-choice task was used to determine thresholds for detecting AM alone. Then, thresholds for detecting FM were determined for stimuli which had a fixed amount of AM in the signal interval only. The amount of AM was always less than the threshold for detecting AM alone. The FM thresholds depended significantly on the magnitude of the coexisting AM. For low modulation rates (4, 16, and 64 Hz), the FM thresholds did not depend significantly on the relative phase of modulation for the FM and AM. For a high modulation rate (256 Hz) strong effects of modulator phase were observed. These phase effects are as predicted by the model proposed by Hartmann and Hnath [Acustica 50, 297-312 (1982)], which assumes that detection of modulation at modulation frequencies higher than the critical modulation frequency is based on detection of the lower sideband in the modulated signal's spectrum. In the second experiment, psychometric functions were measured for the detection of AM alone and FM alone, using modulation rates of 4 and 16 Hz. Results showed that, for each type of modulation, d' is approximately a linear function of the square of the modulation index. Application of this finding to the results of experiment 1 suggested that, at low modulation rates, FM and AM are not detected by completely independent mechanisms. In the third experiment, psychometric functions were again measured for the detection of AM alone and FM alone, using a 10-Hz modulation rate. Detectability was then measured for combined AM and FM, with modulation depths selected so that each type of modulation would be equally detectable if presented alone. Significant effects of relative modulator phase were found when detectability was relatively high. These effects were not correctly predicted by either a single-band excitation-pattern model or a multiple-band excitation-pattern model. However, the detectability of the combined AM and FM was better than would be predicted if the two types of modulation were coded completely independently.     

Analysis of the photon–photon resonance influence on the direct modulation bandwidth of dual-longitudinal-mode distributed feedback lasers

The paper explores the possibilities to extend the direct modulation bandwidth in dual-longitudinal-mode distributed feedback lasers by exploiting the photon–photon resonance induced by the interaction of the two modes in the laser cavity. The effects on the direct amplitude modulation and on the direct modulation of the difference frequency between the two modes are analyzed using simulation and experimental results. When the photon–photon resonance, which occurs at the difference frequency between the two modes, is properly placed at a higher frequency than the carrier-photon resonance, the small-signal amplitude modulation (AM) bandwidth of the laser can be significantly increased. However, both simulations and experiments point out that a high small-signal AM bandwidth does not lead to a high large-signal AM bandwidth if the small-signal modulation response has significant variations across the modulation bandwidth. The paper shows that a high large-signal AM bandwidth is obtained when the two modes are significantly unbalanced, whereas a high-bandwidth difference frequency modulation can be best detected when the two modes are balanced and the DC bias is properly chosen.     

Time course of adaptation and recovery of channels selectively sensitive to frequency and amplitude modulation

In a series of experiments we investigated the time course of adaptation and recovery of channels in the human auditory system selectively sensitive to frequency and amplitude modulation (FM and AM). We determined the rate of loss of sensitivity to modulation using sinusoidal frequency or amplitude modulation (SFM or SAM) of a 50 dB SL, 500-Hz pure tone carrier over a 30-min period. Adaptation stimuli were modulated at ten times the preadaptation modulation detection threshold, as determined immediately before the 30-min adaptation session. Modulation rates investigated were 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 Hz. Long exposure to SFM always elevated thresholds for detection of SFM more than this exposure elevated thresholds for detection of SAM. Similarly, adapting to SAM always elevated SAM detection thresholds more than SFM thresholds. Loss of sensitivity during adaptation was relatively slow; asymptotic loss of modulation sensitivity took 20 to 30 min. The recovery of modulation sensitivity after cessation of the modulation component of the adapting stimulus was determined in a second experiment. Recovery was found to be rapid; most of the recovery occurred within the first 60 sec. Our evidence suggests that there exist two types of modulation-sensitive channels in the human auditory system--one selectively sensitive to amplitude modulation and the other to frequency modulation. They appear to have similar time courses for adaptation and for recovery.     

Ultralow-frequency magnetoelectric effect in a multilayer ferrite-piezoelectric structure

The magnetoelectric effect is experimentally studied in a multilayer nickel zinc ferrite-lead zirconate titanate structure at frequencies of 10^?3–10 Hz that is placed in a harmonically modulated magnetic field of amplitude to 1 kOe. The nonlinearity of the ferrite magnetostriction and the conductivity of the films are shown to double the frequency and distort the shape of the magnetoelectric voltage. The magnetoelectric signal amplitude decreases linearly with decreasing field modulation frequency. The feasibility of using the magnetoelectric effect to detect ultralow-frequency magnetic fields is demonstrated.     

外调制光纤CATV中SBS与MPI的激光器高频微扰抑制理论分析

受激布里渊散射(SBS)与多径干涉噪音(MPI)是光纤AM-CATV外调制传输系统中主要的非线性现象,本文分析了激光器高频扰动抑制SBS与MPI的原理,导出了扰动对系统SBS阈值提高量及MPI抑制程度的理论公式,通过对扰动引起的激光器频率啁啾及附加强度调制而导致的色散的理论分析与计算,得到了扰动信号频率及幅度的选取原则。     

Broadband amplitude-modulated laser source with high output power for FM/cw lidar transmitter

We are building a long-range FM/cw nonscanning imaging lidar breadboard. This lidar system achieves ranging based on a frequency modulation/continuous wave (FM/cw) technique, implemented by an amplitude modulated mid-IR diode laser transmitter with a linear frequency modulation (LFM) of the subcarrier. Firstly, various schemes of light beam modulation are analyzed. Secondly, we put forward a laser modulation scheme whose core was formed by a 1.55 μm electro-absorption modulated laser diode (EML) and an erbium-doped optical fiber amplifier (EDFA), then a corresponding experimental system architecture and components for light beam modulation and detection are established. Finally, a corresponding experiment of laser beam modulation is completed for the first time. In our experiment, the EML amplitude is modulated by a 200 MHz to 800 MHz LFM signal, whose amplitude value is 2.05 V. The average output power of the modulated laser obtained in the experiment is 10 W, peak power is 16.4 W, and the average modulation depth is 78%. The results of tests predict that this laser modulation scheme is likely to improve the imaging range of the FM/cw lidar.     

Frequency modulation detection with simultaneous amplitude modulation by cochlear implant users

To better represent fine structure cues in cochlear implants (CIs), recent research has proposed varying the stimulation rate based on slowly varying frequency modulation (FM) information. The present study investigated the abilities of CI users to detect FM with simultaneous amplitude modulation (AM). FM detection thresholds (FMDTs) for 10-Hz sinusoidal FM and upward frequency sweeps were measured as a function of standard frequency (75-1000 Hz). Three AM conditions were tested, including (1) No AM, (2) 20-Hz Sinusoidal AM (SAM) with modulation depths of 10%, 20%, or 30%, and (3) Noise AM (NAM), in which the amplitude was randomly and uniformly varied over a range of 1, 2, or 3 dB, relative to the reference amplitude. Results showed that FMDTs worsened with increasing standard frequencies, and were lower for sinusoidal FM than for upward frequency sweeps. Simultaneous AM significantly interfered with FM detection; FMDTs were significantly poorer with simultaneous NAM than with SAM. Besides, sinusoidal FMDTs significantly worsened when the starting phase of simultaneous SAM was randomized. These results suggest that FM and AM in CI partly share a common loudness-based coding mechanism and the feasibility of "FM+AM" strategies for CI speech processing may be limited.