Alternating-direction implicit (ADI) formulation of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method: algorithm and material dispersion implementation

The alternating-direction implicit finite-difference time-domain (ADI-FDTD) technique is an unconditionally stable time-domain numerical scheme, allowing the /spl Delta/t time step to be increased beyond the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy limit. Execution time of a simulation is inversely proportional to /spl Delta/t, and as such, increasing /spl Delta/t results in a decrease of execution time. The ADI-FDTD technique greatly increases the utility of the FDTD technique for electromagnetic compatibility problems. Once the basics of the ADI-FDTD technique are presented and the differences of the relative accuracy of ADI-FDTD and standard FDTD are discussed, the problems that benefit greatly from ADI-FDTD are described. A discussion is given on the true time savings of applying the ADI-FDTD technique. The feasibility of using higher order spatial and temporal techniques with ADI-FDTD is presented. The incorporation of frequency dependent material properties (material dispersion) into ADI-FDTD is also presented. The material dispersion scheme is implemented into a one-dimensional and three-dimensional problem space. The scheme is shown to be both accurate and unconditionally stable.     

Single-polarization single-mode photonic crystal fibers

A new structure of single-polarization single-mode (SPSM) photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed and analyzed by using a full-vector finite element method with anisotropic perfectly matched layers. From the numerical results it is confirmed that the proposed fiber is low-loss SPSM-PCF within the wavelengths ranging from 1.48 to 1.6 /spl mu/m, where only the slow-axis mode exists and the confinement loss is less than 0.1 dB/km.     

Neural net analysis of integrated circuit yield dependence on CMOS process control parameters

In this practical case study the method of self-organizing map (SOM) neural net is applied to analyze a CMOS process problem, where the device under study is a heartbeat rate monitor integrated circuit. The wafer yield is analyzed against the process control monitoring (PCM) parameter measurement values. The SOM efficiently reduces the parameter space dimensions and helps in visualizing the different parameter relations. This makes it possible to identify the most probable PCM parameters affecting the yield. Those were found out to be NMOS transistor drain current and aluminium sheet resistance.     

Optimal space-time constellations from groups

We consider the design of space-time constellations based on group codes for fading channels with multiple transmit and receive antennas. These codes can be viewed as multiantenna extensions of phase-shift keying (PSK), in the sense that all codewords have equal energy, all are rotations of a fixed codeword, and there is a simple differential transmission rule that allows data to be sent without channel estimates at the transmitter or receiver. For coherent detection, we show that all optimal full-rank space-time group codes are unitary (each code matrix has equal-energy, orthogonal rows). This leads to a simpler code design criterion and suggests that unitary codes may play an important role in coherent as well as noncoherent communication. For any number of transmit antennas t, we then use the design criterion to characterize all full-rank unitary space-time group codes of minimum block length (also t) which have 2/sup p/ codewords. These results allow us to characterize all optimal 2/sup p/-ary unitary group codes with square code matrices. This restricted class of block codes matches the class proposed for differential modulation by Hughes (see IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol.46, p.2567-78, Nov. 2000), and by Hochwald and Sweldens (see IEEE Trans. Commun., vol.48, p.2041-2052, Dec. 2000).     

Evanescently coupled photodiodes integrating a double-stage taper for 40-Gb/s applications-compared performance with side-illuminated photodiodes

The design, fabrication, and performance of double-stage taper photodiodes (DSTPs) are reported. The objective of this work is to develop devices compatible with 40-Gb/s applications. Such devices require high efficiency, ultrawide band, high optical power handling capability, and compatibility with low-cost module fabrication. The integration of mode size converters improves both the coupling efficiency and the responsivity with a large fiber mode diameter. Responsivity of 0.6 A/W and 0.45 A/W are achieved with a 6-/spl mu/m fiber mode diameter and cleaved fiber, respectively, providing relaxed alignment tolerances (/spl plusmn/1.6 /spl mu/m and /spl plusmn/2 /spl mu/m, respectively), compatible with cost-effective packaging techniques. DSTPs also offer a wide bandwidth greater than 40 GHz and transverse-electric/transverse-magnetic polarization dependence lower than 0.2 dB. Furthermore, a DSTP saturation current as high as 11 mA results in optical power handling greater than +10 dBm and a high output voltage of 0.8 V. These capabilities allow the photodiode to drive the decision circuit without the need of a broad-band electrical amplifier. The DSTP devices presented here demonstrate higher responsivities with large fiber mode diameter and better optical power handling capabilities and are compared with classical side-illuminated photodiodes.     

Adaptive antenna system design for multi-element combining with transient interrupted channels

This paper presents an analysis and design procedure for a buoyant cable array antenna used for satellite communications. The towed multi-element array is susceptible to washovers and fluctuations due to the ocean wave interaction with the floating hose where the elements are housed. A model of system performance for coherent multi-element combining is presented based on the dropouts and fades of the individual elements. The array design, including the number and spacing of elements, is shown to be highly dependent on the individual element exposure characteristics and the degree of correlation of the fades between channels. The joint statistics of the array are analyzed using a binary conditional element exposure model and a first-order Markov interelement correlation model. Using this analysis, a family of array designs meeting the communications requirements is produced.     

Improvement in the DOA estimation of broadband signals usingpartially IIR beamformers

An ideal broadband beamformer requires an increased number of taps for each filter, which in turn increases the complexity of the design. It is shown that for angles near the broadside of the antenna the beamforming is more accurate compared to the angles near the endfire, and it is advantageous to use recursive filters combined with a computed number of zeros for angles near the endfire. The proposed method is used for estimating the arrival angle of the incoming signals and displays uniform accuracy for all angles     

LiNbO3 optical waveguides formed in a new proton source

Proton-exchanged planar waveguides have been fabricated on Z-cut and X-cut lithium niobate crystals by using a new proton source formed by a mixture of benzoic and adipic acids. Waveguide index profiles and optical characteristics have been obtained at different values of the adipic-benzoic acid concentration ratio. The samples have been structurally characterized by Raman and infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy and double-crystal X-ray diffraction. Good quality samples have been fabricated by using 30 mol% ratio dilution, showing very low scattering levels (<0.1 dB/cm), relatively high electrooptic coefficient (r₃₃=0.88 pm/V), and low relative percentage of interstitial protons (26%). The main factor limiting the waveguide optical properties is the substitutional-interstitial proton ratio, which can be easily controlled to produce good quality waveguides. A demonstration of the repeatability of the exchange process in the acid mixture is also provided     

Quantisation noise control in perceptual audio coding using low selectivity filter banks

The problem of computing, in a subband audio coder, the maximum quantisation noise power that can be injected in each band to ensure transparent coding when low selectivity filter banks are used, is addressed. A low complexity strategy, taking into account the frequency responses of the synthesis filter bank, is proposed for achieving an overall distortion due to quantisation noise always below the masking threshold (provided by a psycho-acoustic model) for any length prototype filters.