Distributed channel assignment strategies using coexistenceetiquettes for land based radio environment

The performance of two distributed channel assignment algorithms which use coexistence etiquettes for point to point links are considered by the authors. It has been found that selecting channels prior to transmission at the transmitter as opposed to the receiver, supports greater offered traffic with the additional advantage of a less complex protocol     

Benchmarks of simple, generic, shaped plates for validation oflow-frequency electromagnetic computational codes

The validation of low-frequency measurements and electromagnetic (EM) scattering computations for several simple, generic shapes, such as an equilateral-triangular plate, an equilateral-triangular plate with a concentric equilateral-triangular hole, and diamond- and hexagonal-shaped plates, is discussed. The plates were constructed from a thin aluminium sheet with a thickness of 0.08 cm. EM scattering by the planar plates was measured in the experimental test range (ETR) facility of NASA Langley Research Center. The dimensions of the plates were selected such that, over the frequency range of interest, the dimensions were in the range of λ₀ to 3λ₀. In addition, the triangular plate with a triangular hole was selected to study internal-hole resonances     

Monolithically integrated laser/rear-facet monitor arrays withV-groove for passive optical fiber alignment

An InGaAsP/InP laser monolithically integrated with a rear facet monitor and a fiber V-groove has been demonstrated for the first time. The integrated device incorporates an etched-facet laser fabricated using an in situ, multistep, reactive ion etch process. The integrated V-groove, which is etched directly into the InP substrate, is designed to enable passive alignment of an optical fiber to the active region of the laser. Passive coupling efficiencies of 18% and 8% have been obtained using cleaved multimode and single mode fibers, respectively. Responsivities of the rear facet monitor were as high as 0.49 A/W     

Automatic detection of mass-resolved ion conics

A processing algorithm for automatically detecting a specific type of ion distribution (called the ion conic distribution) in data obtained from a space-based mass spectrometer has been devised. Automation of this task is necessary due to the sparseness of conic events within the very large databases typical of space plasma instruments. The algorithm used to perform this automated analysis and the methods used to verify the algorithm are described. Initial results on the characterization of the near-Earth space plasma are summarized     

Two-dimensional FDTD analysis of a pulsed microwave confocal systemfor breast cancer detection: fixed-focus and antenna-array sensors

A novel focused active microwave system is investigated for detecting tumors in the breast. In contrast to X-ray and ultrasound modalities, the method reviewed here exploits the breast-tissue physical properties unique to the microwave spectrum, namely, the translucent nature of normal breast tissues and the high dielectric contrast between malignant tumors and surrounding lesion-free normal breast tissues. The system uses a pulsed confocal technique and time-gating to enhance the detection of tumors while suppressing the effects of tissue heterogeneity and absorption. Using published data for the dielectric properties of normal breast tissues and malignant tumors, the authors have conducted a two-dimensional (2-D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) computational electromagnetics analysis of the system. The FDTD simulations showed that tumors as small as 2 mm in diameter could be robustly detected in the presence of the background clutter generated by the heterogeneity of the surrounding normal tissue. Lateral spatial resolution of the tumor location was found to be about 0.5 cm     

Impact of local-negative-feedback on the MRS avalanchephotodetector operation

Metal-Resistance-Semiconductor (MRS) photodetectors are characterized by a resistive layer placed in series to an avalanching region. In this paper, we report the characterization of such devices, we define a parameter extraction procedure, and we derive a quantitative model of the MRS operation. Due to the presence of the ohmic layer, the detector works as an ensemble of pixels with separately stabilized operating bias. In this way, compared to avalanche photodiodes (APDs), MRS achieve superior gain uniformity with the same sensitive area. However, there are still aspects of the fabrication technology and of the detector structure which have to be improved     

Analogue micropowered log-domain tone controller for auditoryprostheses

A micropower tone-control circuit comprising two first-order log-domain filters and a subtractor built with MOS transistors in weak inversion is described. The tone-controller is capable of providing bass cut/boost and treble cut operations. This circuit is being used in new designs of a conventional (acoustic) hearing-aid and cochlear implant     

Amplification of radiation due to the four-photon parametric process in potassium vapor

The results of the experimental investigation of the radiation amplification due to the stimulated four-photon parametric process in potassium vapor are reported. Two cells with active medium (an oscillatoramplifier system) are used in the experiments. The dominating role of IR radiation 6S → 5P (3.66 µm) in the amplification of violet radiation 5P → 4S (0.4 µm) generated due to the parametric process at two-photon excitation 4S → 6S is shown. This role is conditioned by optically pumped stimulated emission (OPSE). Optical conditions for the amplification of a seed radiation are determined in accordance with their intensity and the buffer gas (He) pressure. The problem of the image conversion from the IR to a visible one with quantum efficiency above 100% is discussed.