Series equivalence/operation of current-controlled boost-typesingle-phase voltage source converters for bidirectional power flow

Single-phase voltage source power converters (VSCs) under consideration are AC-DC current-controlled boost-type power converters with bidirectional power-handling capability. Equivalence between two series-connected two-level power converters and a single three-level power converter is considered here. Further considered is the series operation of three-level power converters. Simulation results and experimental verification for both are provided. Economical configurations of three-level power converters leading to multilevel waveforms are presented thereafter     

Phase-only adaptive nulling with a genetic algorithm

This paper describes a new approach to adaptive phase-only nulling with phased arrays. A genetic algorithm adjusts some of the least significant bits of the beam steering phase shifters to minimize the total output power. Using small adaptive phase values results in minor deviations in the beam steering direction and small perturbations in the sidelobe level in addition to constraining the search space of the genetic algorithm. Various results are presented to show the advantages and limitations of this approach, in general, the genetic algorithm proves to be better than previous phase-only adaptive algorithms     

Quick estimation of rare events in stochastic networks

This paper presents a method for fast estimation of probabilities of rare events in stochastic networks, with a particular emphasis on coherent reliability systems. The method is based on the concepts of likelihood-ratios (LR), change of probability measure and the bottleneck-cut in the network. Both polynomial and exponential-time Monte Carlo estimators are defined, and conditions under which the time complexity of the proposed LR estimators is bounded by a polynomial are discussed. The accuracy of the method depends only on the size (cardinality) of the bottleneck-cut, not on the topology and actual size of the network. Supporting numerical results are presented, with the cardinality of the bottleneck-cut ⩽20     

Four-channel polarization-insensitive optically transparent wavelength converter

Multichannel wavelength converters may be important components in the cross-connects in future wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) transport networks. We demonstrate a multichannel, polarization-insensitive, optically transparent wavelength converter, based on four-wave mixing in two semiconductor optical amplifiers in a polarization-diversity arrangement. Bit-error-rate (BER) measurements with four input 2.5-Gb/s WDM channels, spaced by 2 nm, show penalties for wavelength conversion less than 2.6 dB at 10/sup -9/ BER. Changes in the state of polarization of the input signals cause the output power to change by less than 1.2 dB, and the corresponding power penalties change by less than 0.9 dB.     

Wavelet packet modulation for orthogonally multiplexedcommunication

Utilizing multidimensional signaling techniques, a generalized multirate wavelet-based modulation format for orthogonally multiplexed communication systems is presented. Wavelet packet modulation (WPM) employs the basis functions from an arbitrary pruning of a dyadic tree structured filter bank as orthogonal pulse shapes for conventional quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbols. This generalized framework affords an entire library of basis sets with increased flexibility in time-frequency (T-F) partitioning. The bandwidth efficiency and power spectral density figures of merit for the general signal are derived and shown to be that of standard QAM     

Wavelength selection for low-saturation pulse oximetry

Conventional pulse oximeters are accurate at high oxygen saturation under a variety of physiological conditions but show worsening accuracy at lower saturation (below 70%). Numerical modeling suggests that sensors fabricated with 735 and 890 nm emitters should read more accurately at low saturation under a variety of conditions than sensors made with conventionally used 660 and 900 nm band emitters. Recent animal testing confirms this expectation. It is postulated that the most repeatable and stable accuracy of the pulse oximeter occurs when the fractional change in photon path lengths due to perturbations in the tissue (relative to the conditions present during system calibration) is equivalent at the two wavelengths. Additionally, the penetration depth (and/or breadth) of the probing light needs to be well matched at the two wavelengths in order to minimize the effects of tissue heterogeneity. At high saturation these conditions are optimally met with 660 and 900 nm band emitters, while at low saturation 735 and 890 nm provide better performance     

Estimating local mean signal strength of indoor multipathpropagation

We explore techniques for the measurement of local mean signal strength at 900 MHz and 2 GHz. In particular, we characterize the impact of transmitter and receiver antenna rotation on the estimated local mean. Then, we explore the collection of high resolution data while moving along a linear trajectory and using linear averaging techniques to estimate the local mean. With this information, the best measurement techniques can be chosen depending on the required speed versus accuracy tradeoff. Finally, we use a ray tracing propagation model to evaluate different methods of calculating the local mean signal strength for indoor environments     

Electrical linewidth test structures fabricated in monocrystallinefilms for reference-material applications

The physical widths of reference features incorporated into electrical linewidth test structures patterned in films of monocrystalline silicon have been determined from Kelvin voltage measurements. The films in which the test structures are patterned are electrically insulated from the bulk-silicon substrate by a layer of silicon dioxide provided by SIMOX (Separation by the IMplantation of OXygen) processing. The motivation is to facilitate the development of linewidth reference materials for critical-dimension (CD) metrology-instrument calibration. The selection of the (110) orientation of the starting silicon and the orientation of the structures' features relative to the crystal lattice enable a lattice-plane-selective etch to generate reference-feature properties of rectangular cross section and atomically planar sidewalls. These properties are highly desirable for CD applications in which feature widths are certified with nanometer-level uncertainty for use by a diverse range of CD instruments. End applications include the development and calibration of new generations of CD instruments directed at controlling processes for manufacturing devices having sub-quarter-micrometer features     

Low-truncation-error finite difference equations for photonicssimulation. II. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

For part I see, ibid., p. 134, 1998. The basic approach outlined in the previous article is applied to the difficult problem of computing the optical modes of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The formulation utilizes a finite difference equation based upon the lowest order term of an infinite series solution of the scalar Helmholtz equation in a local region. This difference equation becomes exact in the one-dimensional (1-D) limit, and is thus ideally suited for nearly 1-D devices such as vertical-cavity lasers. The performance of the resulting code is tested on both a simple cylindrical cavity with known solutions and an oxide-confined vertical-cavity laser structure, and the results compared against second-order-accurate code based upon Crank-Nicolson differencing